Meatless casseroles: fresh takes on a strata and a terrine

Casserole dishes can become boring after awhile—why not try something new? Kid-friendly and full of flavour, these casserole dishes won't disappoint.

A strata—a layered casserole with an Italian name but humble North American roots—is most commonly made with bread. We've given it a twist by using corn tortillas instead. Corn tortillas have no fat and considerably less sodium than bread.

Prep time: approx. 15 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 250 g (8 oz) fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
• 275 g (10 oz) frozen chopped collard greens, thawed and squeezed dry
• 750 ml (3 c) low-fat (1%) milk
• 3 ml (3/4 tsp) salt
• 1 ml (1/4 tsp) cayenne pepper
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) flour
• 350 g (1 1/2 c) frozen corn kernels
• 125 g (4 oz) manchego cheese, shredded
• 5 corn tortillas,  (15 cm/6 in) halved

1. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook for 10 seconds. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook, stirring frequently for three minutes (or until firm-tender). Stir in the collards, and cook, stirring for five minutes, or until the collards are tender.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the milk, salt and cayenne into the flour until smooth.
3. Whisk the milk mixture into the collards. Cook, stirring frequently for three to five minutes (or until the sauce is creamy and lightly thickened). Stir in the corn. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cheese until melted.
4. Arrange five tortilla halves over the bottom of a 22 x 22-centimetre (nine x nine-inch) glass baking dish. Top with half of the collard mixture. Place the remaining tortillas on top and spoon the remaining collard mixture over the tortillas. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the strata is bubbling hot.

• 410 calories
• 17 g fat
• 8.8 g saturated fat
• 5.1 g fibre
• 20 g protein
• 48 g carbohydrate
• 37 mg cholesterol
• 784 mg sodium

To achieve the proper texture for this colourful terrine, it's important to use "silken" tofu, which is much smoother than regular. Soy foods, such as tofu, contain powerful phytoestrogens that protect against osteoporosis by inhibiting calcium loss from bones.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour plus refrigeration time

Serves: 4

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 575 g (19 oz) soft silken tofu
• 250 g (8 oz) nonfat cream cheese
• 125 g (1/2 c) grated Parmesan cheese
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) flour
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt
• 500 g (2 c) packed fresh basil leaves
• 250 g (1 c) jarred roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) tomato paste
• 1 ml (1/4 tsp) cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Coat a 22 x 12-centimetre (8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch) loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a small pot of boiling water, cook the garlic for two minutes to blanch. Drain.
2. In a food processor, combine the blanched garlic, tofu, cream cheese, Parmesan, flour, whole egg, egg whites and salt. Process until smooth. Pour half the tofu mixture into a bowl.
3. To the tofu mixture remaining in the food processor, add the basil and puree until smooth. Pour the basil-tofu mixture into the prepared pan.
4. Return the tofu mixture in the bowl to the food processor (no need to rinse). Add the roasted peppers, tomato paste and cayenne. Puree until smooth. Spoon the red pepper-tofu mixture on top of the basil mixture. With a small knife, make several cuts through the two layers.
5. Bake for one hour, or until set. Cool in the pan on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least four hours. To serve, invert onto a serving platter and cut into eight slices.

• 260 calories
• 9.2 g fat
• 2.9 g saturated fat
• 25 g protein
• 21 g carbohydrates
• 4.3 g fibre
• 67 mg cholesterol
• 964 mg sodium

These vegetarian dishes are just as good as their meaty counterparts, and they make perfect family meals.