Travel and Nourishing Food

There’s nothing quite like the combination of travel and nourishing food! 🌱🍝

For me, exploring the world through my taste buds is one of the greatest joys of travel. That’s why on my upcoming April Wellness Retreat, our delicious, wholesome, in-house prepared meals are going to be just as much of a focus as our yoga practice, hiking, relaxation, and connection.

I’m getting into the spirit by whipping up a batch of my favorite gluten-free vegetable lasagna. 🧑‍🍳 This hearty, comforting dish is a perfect example of how you can eat well and feel great while you’re away.

Join me in prioritizing nourishment – both for your mind, body, and palate! Let me know how yours turns out in the comments below! 😉

Veggies Mix

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oiil
• 3 large carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 3 broccoli stems, peeled and chopped (you can use florets but this is a great way to use the stems)
• 4 baby portobello mushrooms (I find these more flavorful)
• 5 to 6 ounces of baby spinach and arugula mix (you can use just spinach too)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 medium onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• Crushed red pepper (optional if you want heat)

Tomato sauce (you can use a prepared sauce as well, 2 cups) 

• Can of diced tomatoes 
• Fresh Basil

Remaining Ingredients

• 2 cups (16 oz) low fat cottage cheese, divided in two
• ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• No-boil lasagna noodles (about 9 depending on dish.  I used gluten free Barilla noodle which is why I baked it longer)
• 8 oz (2 cups) shredded low moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese

Let’s make Lasagna!

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. To prepare the veggies: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the onions and salt slightly to make them sweat. Add garlic after onions start to become transparent.  Add remaining veggies except spinach and arugula mix.  Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until the veggies are golden on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes.
3. Add a few large handfuls of spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mix has wilted. Repeat with remaining mix and cook until all of the mix has wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, to prepare the tomato sauce: Pour the tomatoes into a mesh sieve or fine colander and drain off the excess juice for a minute. Then, transfer the drained tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor. Add the basil, a little olive oil, salt, and if desired red pepper flakes.
5. Pulse the mixture about 10 times, until the tomatoes have broken down to an easily spreadable consistency. Pour the mixture into a bowl for later (you should have a little over 2 cups sauce). Rinse out the food processor and return it to the machine.
6. Pour half of the cottage cheese (1 cup) into the processor and blend it until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to large mixing bowl. No need to rinse out the bowl of the food processor this time; just put it back onto the machine because you’ll need it later.
7. Transfer the cooked veggies and spinach mixture to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until they are more finely chopped (but not puréed!), about 5 to 7 times, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of whipped cottage cheese. Top with the remaining cottage cheese, then add ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (to taste) and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Now it’s lasagna assembly time!
8. Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9” by 9” baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top (snap off their ends to fit, and/or overlap their edges as necessary). Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with ¾ cup tomato sauce, then sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
9. Top with more noodles (I usually lay them the opposite way so the layers are crisscross making it harder to fall apart when cut), followed by the remaining cottage cheese mixture (we’re skipping the tomato sauce in this layer.) Sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
10. Top with more noodles, then spread ¾ cup tomato sauce over the top (use all the sauce to cover the noodles as the gluten free noodles need the liquid) to evenly cover the noodles. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup shredded cheese.
11. Wrap a sheet of parchment paper or foil around the top of the lasagna (don’t let it come into contact with the cheese). Bake, covered, for 18 minutes, rotate the pan by 180° and continue cooking for about 10 to 15 more minutes, then uncover and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the top is turning spotty brown.
12. Remove from oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 to 20 minutes, so it has time to set and cool down to a reasonable temperature. Sprinkle additional basil over the top, then slice and serve.

Remember each oven is different and if you are using a fan then you may want to check the lasagna while uncovered so as not to burn. 

This original recipe is from Cookie and Kate (link) but this version is with my  modifications.  

Since we are swapping Barilla gluten-free pasta the calorie and nutrition content is as follows.  But this would vary depending on what type of pasta you use.  

Estimated Macros (Per Serving)

Yields 8 generous slices

• Calories: ~345 kcal
• Total Fat: 14g
  • Saturated Fat: 8g
• Total Carbohydrates: 38g
  • Dietary Fiber: 4g
  • Sugars: 7g
• Protein: 17g
• Sodium: ~700mg (can vary based on your marinara sauce choice)

Nutritional Highlights

• High Protein & Calcium: Thanks to the combination of cottage cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan, this is a very satisfying vegetarian meal that supports muscle recovery—perfect after a day of yoga and hiking.
• Vitamin-Rich: The heavy use of spinach, carrots, and bell peppers (if used) provides a significant amount of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Iron.
• Gluten-Free Friendly: Using gluten-free noodles makes this a great anti-inflammatory option that’s easier on digestion for many, without sacrificing the comfort-food feel.

Wellness Tip: If you want to boost the protein even further without adding meat, you can use a lentil-based gluten-free lasagna noodle (like Banza or Barilla GF). This can add about 5-8g of extra protein and even more fiber to every slice!