Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients

Filling:

• 1 eggplant, sliced
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 red onion, halved and sliced
• 3 mixed bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups strained tomatoes
• 2 tbsp. chopped basil
• 8 no-precook lasagna sheets
• Salt and pepper

Cheese Sauce:

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. flour
• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. chopped basil
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions

1. Place the eggplant slices in a colander, sprinkle them with salt, and let stand for 20 minutes. Rinse under cold water, drain, and reserve.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and saute the garlic and onion for 1-2 minutes. Add bell peppers, mushrooms, celery, and zucchini and cook, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes.
3. Stir in the spices and cook for 1 minute. Mix in the chopped tomatoes, strained tomatoes, and basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. For the sauce, melt the butter in a panel, stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the broth and milk, return to the heat, and add half the cheese and all the mustard. Boil, stirring, until thickened. Stir in the basil. Remove from heat and stir in the egg.
5. Place half the lasagna sheets in an ovenproof dish. Top with half the vegetable mixture and then half the eggplants. Repeat the layers and spoon the cheese sauce over the top.
6. Sprinkle the lasagna with the remaining cheese and cook in a preheated oven, 350 degrees, for 40 minutes, until top is golden brown.