Tomato and kale strata

This is another recipe from the May/June issue of Eating Well Magazine. I just recently discovered this publication and it may be my new favorite cooking magazine. This issue is full of wonderful and healthy recipes. There are still a few more I want to try in here. I am always looking for tasty vegetarian dishes and this meatless strata looked amazing.
 It is very resemblant of lasagna, but without the noodles. The original recipe was made with spinach, but I altered it by substituting with kale, which I lightly sauteed in some garlic. This worked out great (I am sure the spinach version is good too!)! It comes together really quickly and  is a great make-ahead dish. You can assemble it several hours in advance, even the night before. Then pop it in the oven an hour before dinner time (it would be great for lunch too!). I just love these dishes that sort of make themselves -enjoy!

Tomato and kale strata
4 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon, extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium onion chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lbs fresh kale or spinach, cooked and chopped
1 garlic clove
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups prepared marinara sauce, divided
6 slices whole grain sandwich bread, preferably day-old
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3 large eggs
1 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or oregano

Coat a 7-by-11-inch (or similar size) baking dish with cooking spray.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook 3-4 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl and season with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and salt and stir to combine.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the kale in 1 tablespoon olive oil with 1 clove of garlic, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
Combine ricotta, kale, nutmeg, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in another bowl.
Spoon 1 cup marinara sauce into the prepared baking dish. Break each slice of bread into 4 roughly equal pieces; arrange half of the bread on the sauce.

Spoon the ricotta mixture over the bread. Arrange the remaining bread pieces over the ricotta. Scatter the onion and mushroom mixture over the bread. Top with Mozzarella. Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the top. The pan will be very full.

Whisk egg and milk in a small bowl. Pour the mixture slowly over the casserole, poking the filling gently with the tip of a knife until the egg mixture is evenly distributed and the bread is saturated.
Coat a piece of foil with cooking spray on one side and cover the casserole, sprayed side down,.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the strata uncovered,  for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley or oregano.

Serves 8


Recipe adapted from, Eating Well magazine, May/June 2011