Godma Lucy’s Heartwarming All Vegetable Lasagna

Posted On November 23, 2020

Flying cars, cyborgs and screenless computers were some of the things we envisioned year 2020 to be. However, year 2020 has been nothing but a roller coaster ride since it started and as the year is coming to a close it is still looking bleak. Some of us lost our jobs, many lost their loved ones, yet we humans are adaptable beings – though full of uncertainty, we still go through each day one day at a time with hope and prayer that tomorrow will be better than yesterday.

“Forgive and forget. It will make you a happier person, keeping grudges only makes you miserable” – Lucy D’Almeida

I recently lost someone dear to me; my babysitter turned godmother – Lucy D’Almeida. She was an angel and a friend to anyone who crossed paths with her. Her favourite advice to me has always been “Forgive and forget. It will make you a happier person, keeping grudges only makes you miserable”. I remember as a kid I’d follow her into the kitchen just to see what she cooks and how she makes my favourite dishes. I’d mentally remember the steps and asked for permission to help her “masak-masak”, promising to not burn the kitchen down when she’s about to cook our (she babysat many kids at one point) favourites. 

 

One of my fondest memory was when she’d make her veggie lasagna/lasagne. We would devour the whole tray within minutes and would even ask for seconds. She’d always make extra helpings because of that. To be honest, I think she’s the happiest when we complimented her food. If we told her we liked it, we would be sure to have the exact same thing the following week. Sometimes we’d have to tell her to not make the dish just because we were getting bored of eating the same thing every week.

So, here’s my veggie lasagna inspired by Lucy D’Almeida. Like the title of this post, it is an ALL VEGETABLE lasagna; even the “pasta” is substituted with vegetables. Aiyah, simple nia la!

 

Serves 2 – 4 portions

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion – roughly chopped
• 1 red capsicum (bell pepper) – roughly chopped 
• 1 yellow capsicum (bell pepper) – roughly chopped
• 1 green capsicum (bell pepper) – roughly chopped
• 1 carrot – roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery – roughly chopped
• 3 brinjal (eggplant) – sliced **these will be our pasta substitute. Alternatively, you can use zucchini 
• 3 tomatoes – sliced
• 4 fresh shitake mushrooms – sliced
• 150ml canned Marinara sauce **You can use homemade tomato sauce
• Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Cheese (optional) 

Utensils

• Wok
• Oven
• 20cm x 5cm square baking tray or 2 x Loaf pans

Prepping

1. Fry the sliced brinjals or zucchinis in the wok with a bit of oil for 2 minutes on each side or till slightly charred on both sides. Slightly season with salt and pepper. Once done, set aside on a plate.
2. Using the same wok, heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the mushrooms. Next, add the carrots, onions, capsicums and celeries into the wok and sauté till the vegetables soften. At this point, add in the marinara sauce. Once fully mixed, turn off the heat and set aside.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Line the tray with the brinjal/zucchini and spread the vegetable mixture evenly on the brinjal/zucchini. 
3. Repeat the brinjal/zucchini layer and spread the vegetable mixture again. Keep repeating the layers until you finish your brinjal/zucchini and vegetable mixture.
4. Once you’re done, top the tray with cheese and slices of tomatoes on the top.
5. Put the tray into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes.
6. Remove and let cool before enjoying!