Sweet Potato Vegetable Lasagna

Sweet Potato Lasagna

In an effort to eat healthier, my mom and I have decided to try to live the Engine 2 lifestyle for the next couple weeks. We started on Monday. I really didn't make anything special that day, just avoided dairy, meat, processed foods and oils. In fact, I avoided most food because I was sick.

Although it was unanimously decided (by the two of us) that not all of our healthy recipes needed to come from the E2 website or book, I determined that trying a few of these recipes would be good for me. The first on the list was Rip's Sweet Potato Lasagna... If it's good enough to be served at Rip Esselstyn's wedding, then it's good enough for me.

Sautéing Onions, Garlic, and Mushrooms

Broccoli smelled nutty and yummy while cooking

Corn and Chopped Red Pepper

Vegetable, Tofu, and Spice Mix

First layer after noodles and sauce - veggie mix

Second layer - spinach and mashed sweet potatoes

Sliced Roma Tomatoes On Top

Ground Raw Cashews

Lasagna Out of the Oven

Okay, this recipe took me A LOT longer than it should have. I hadn't read it thoroughly before I started making the lasagna and missed a crucial step - cooking the sweet potatoes. By the time everything was put together and ready to go into the oven, Andrew had already made himself a different dinner. To be honest, he wasn't very eager to try this any way. When he got home from work he started out excited (he looooves lasagna), but then he asked about the ingredients... I believe his response was, "That is not lasagna!"

All the ingredients smelled fabulous when they were cooking. The colors were beautiful, I was rocking out to my cooking music, everything seemed to come together (besides the extra time to cook the sweet potatoes).  When I cut a piece and took my first bite, my face must have shown my shock and disgust. Andrew laughed at me and said, "I'm definitely not trying it now."  What happened? How could everything taste so good separately and be so gross together? It was way too sweet.

Here is where I think I went wrong and what I would do differently:

• Used a Vidalia sweet onion instead of  a yellow or white... oops.
• Yam vs. Sweet Potato - Man working in produce section kept telling me I was purchasing the wrong thing after showing me where the sweet potatoes were: "No, those are yams! (I put them down and he hands me a different tuber) Get these, they are sweet potatoes... No! These ones."  The cream colored flesh of the sweet potatoes threw me off. Shouldn't have caved. Should have gotten the orange colored yams. When I baked and mashed the potatoes they tasted like candy.
• Corn contributed to sweetness. Might leave it out next time.

Since I had a pan full of veggie lasagna in the fridge and no one else was going to eat it, I decided to suffer through it. The next morning, lasagna for breakfast. My sister suggested a generous topping of cheddar cheese to help me swallow it down. Cheese makes everything better. Too bad mom and I are avoiding dairy... 

Wait, I've got veggie shreds in the fridge! I pulled out the mozzarella rice shreds (made by Galaxy Nutritional Foods) and sprinkled them on my lasagna before nuking it. And you know what? It was way better the next day. Not sure if everything melded together in the fridge overnight or the magic was in the faux cheese topping. Who cares, it's edible now.