By By Samantha Lim, Staff Writer
In observance of National Coming Out Day on Tuesday, October 11th, here’s a rainbow themed recipe to add some color to your day! NCOD was established in 1988 by Jean O’Leary, a politician from Los Angeles, and Robert Eichberg, a psychologist from New Mexico. The celebration instills LGBT pride and helps closeted individuals realize that they have the freedom of choice to live an open and honest life.
Most everyone will agree that a balanced diet is essential to health. Inversely, not many realize that adhering to a colorful diet puts one in the absolute pink of health, and I don’t mean chowing down on Trix cereal or eating Skittles by the handful! The colors of produce are indicative of their vitamin and mineral content. Therefore, the science behind observing a colorful diet is to maximize one’s daily intake of nutrients.
This simple, delicious lasagna incorporates a colorful blend of vegetables, and can be easily prepared in the kitchen of any campus residence. Using no-boil lasagna noodles save much time, as they go straight from the box to the tray. You may substitute the vegetables to suit your taste; just don’t forget to observe the rule of color!
First off, set the oven temperature to 350°F.Soak the broccoli and peppers in clean water for 10 minutes. Use a sharp kitchen knife to cut off the stalk of the broccoli before tearing it into small florets. Steam or boil until soft. Dice the sweet potatoes and peppers, keeping each variety of vegetables separate from one another. Likewise, individually toss each small pile of vegetables with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread the seasoned vegetables on a foil tray, then pop the tray into the ovenfor 15 minutes. While waiting for the vegetables to roast, beat the egg and mix with the ricotta.
Your baking tray should be deep enough to contain the multiple layers of lasagna. I used a 10″ x 10″ x 3.5″ tray. Dose the tray with a light coat of non-stick cooking spray.
Layering lasagna might seem complicated, but it’s really just a matter of following a sequence. There’s only one rule to keep in mind: layer each ingredient evenly. The order for this recipe goes as follows: 1/3 sauce, 3 pieces of noodles, yellow peppers, red peppers, 1/2 ricotta-egg mixture, and a handful of mozzarella. Repeat the sequence, only this time, replace the yellow and red peppers with sweet potatoes and broccoli. Sprinkle a generous amount of Mozzarella on the top-most layer.
Cover the baking tray with foil before setting it in the oven. Cooking time totals 40 minutes, but remember to remove the foil at the last 10 minutes; this gives the top layer of Mozzarella a crisp, golden finish.
Store leftovers in a microwave-safe container and refrigerate to save yourself the trip to California Pizza Kitchen at an inconvenient hour.
Ingredients
· 1 cup of sweet potatoes/candied yams in syrup
· 1 large red pepper
· 1 large yellow pepper
· 1 large head of broccoli
· 1 egg
· 9 pieces of no-boil lasagna noodles
· 12 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese
· ½ cup Ricotta cheese
· 1 cup spaghetti sauce
· Olive Oil
· Salt and pepper to taste