Meatless Monday
Tasty Vegan Lasagna
Ingredients:
1 pkg - lasagna noodles, no boil or cook regular noodles according to package instructions
2 cups - vegan mozzarella cheese (optional, as this may add a lot of sodium)
3 large - bell peppers, any color
1 large - eggplant
2 med - zucchini
3 large - tomatoes, or 4 or 5 smaller
2 large - onion, sliced
10 cloves - garlic, minced
2 pkg - 10 ozs frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 pkg - tofu, soft silken
2 cups – non-dairy milk of your choice (add half, then add as needed. Do not allow mixture to become soupy.)
2 cups - fresh spices; cilantro, or a combination of cilantro, parsley, tarragon and dill leaves, this makes a strong herby flavor, so if you want a milder taste use less.
¼ cup - nutritional yeast
2 tsp - Italian seasoning
1 tsp - nutmeg
Directions:
Roast the Veggies:
Eggplant and zucchini: Slice into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Place the slices on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle salt (substitute), pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil or vegetable oil spray. Place under the broiler and let the slices broil for about three minutes until they begin turning golden. Flip the veggie slices, re-season if you wish, and broil another three minutes until the eggplant is quite tender. (The eggplant will take longer than the zucchini, be sure the eggplant is tender as this will affect the outcome of the final product.) Remove from oven and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle, slice the veggies into small strips and place in a bowl. Set aside.
Bell peppers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and roast directly on an oven rack. Turn occasionally until the skin has charred and wrinkled uniformly all around the peppers. Remove from oven and allow to cool. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard along with the seeds and stalk. Chop into thin strips and put in the bowl with the eggplants.
Tomatoes: Preheat oven to 425. Slice tomatoes in half. Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on a lightly oiled baking sheet. As with the eggplants, season with salt (substitute), pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil or vegetable oil spray. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the tomatoes are turning golden and are quite soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool. When cool to the touch, slice and add to the bowl containing the other roasted veggies.
While the veggies are roasting, prepare the sauce or "cheese:
Heat some olive oil in a large skillet, and sauté onion and garlic. After the onion and garlic are tender, add spinach and cook for additional 3 or 4 minutes. Season with salt (substitute) and pepper.
In a blender or food processor (you may have to do this in batches and blend batches in a large bowl; or process entire mixture at one time in a large bowl with a stick blender) add spinach onion mixture, tofu, milk, nutritional yeast, fresh spices, Italian seasoning, and nutmeg. Blend until you have a fairly smooth and thick but spreadable sauce. Add more milk if the sauce is too thick, but don't let it become watery. Set aside.
To assemble the lasagna:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 12 X 9 inch rectangular baking dish or your favorite lasagna pan.
Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of sauce. Layer lasagna noodles in the bottom of the dish, overlapping them slightly so there are no gaps. Spread one quarter of remaining sauce evenly on the lasagna noodles. Now layer one-third of the roasted vegetables on top of the sauce, spreading them evenly. Spread about one quarter of the crumbled vegan mozzarella (if using) on top of the vegetables. Now add another layer of noodles, and repeat the layering process with the sauce, the vegetables and the cheese till you have three layers. Place another layer of noodles on top of the third layer and top with remaining sauce and mozzarella (if using).
Cover the lasagna pan with aluminum foil.
Bake in a 375-degree oven for 40 minutes.
Now remove the foil and continue baking for another 5 minutes or until the cheese on top gets bubbly and starts to turn golden.
Remove from oven and let stand for a few minutes before cutting.
1 pkg - lasagna noodles, no boil or cook regular noodles according to package instructions
2 cups - vegan mozzarella cheese (optional, as this may add a lot of sodium)
3 large - bell peppers, any color
1 large - eggplant
2 med - zucchini
3 large - tomatoes, or 4 or 5 smaller
2 large - onion, sliced
10 cloves - garlic, minced
2 pkg - 10 ozs frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 pkg - tofu, soft silken
2 cups – non-dairy milk of your choice (add half, then add as needed. Do not allow mixture to become soupy.)
2 cups - fresh spices; cilantro, or a combination of cilantro, parsley, tarragon and dill leaves, this makes a strong herby flavor, so if you want a milder taste use less.
¼ cup - nutritional yeast
2 tsp - Italian seasoning
1 tsp - nutmeg
Directions:
Roast the Veggies:
Eggplant and zucchini: Slice into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Place the slices on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle salt (substitute), pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil or vegetable oil spray. Place under the broiler and let the slices broil for about three minutes until they begin turning golden. Flip the veggie slices, re-season if you wish, and broil another three minutes until the eggplant is quite tender. (The eggplant will take longer than the zucchini, be sure the eggplant is tender as this will affect the outcome of the final product.) Remove from oven and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle, slice the veggies into small strips and place in a bowl. Set aside.
Bell peppers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and roast directly on an oven rack. Turn occasionally until the skin has charred and wrinkled uniformly all around the peppers. Remove from oven and allow to cool. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard along with the seeds and stalk. Chop into thin strips and put in the bowl with the eggplants.
Tomatoes: Preheat oven to 425. Slice tomatoes in half. Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on a lightly oiled baking sheet. As with the eggplants, season with salt (substitute), pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil or vegetable oil spray. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the tomatoes are turning golden and are quite soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool. When cool to the touch, slice and add to the bowl containing the other roasted veggies.
While the veggies are roasting, prepare the sauce or "cheese:
Heat some olive oil in a large skillet, and sauté onion and garlic. After the onion and garlic are tender, add spinach and cook for additional 3 or 4 minutes. Season with salt (substitute) and pepper.
In a blender or food processor (you may have to do this in batches and blend batches in a large bowl; or process entire mixture at one time in a large bowl with a stick blender) add spinach onion mixture, tofu, milk, nutritional yeast, fresh spices, Italian seasoning, and nutmeg. Blend until you have a fairly smooth and thick but spreadable sauce. Add more milk if the sauce is too thick, but don't let it become watery. Set aside.
To assemble the lasagna:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 12 X 9 inch rectangular baking dish or your favorite lasagna pan.
Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of sauce. Layer lasagna noodles in the bottom of the dish, overlapping them slightly so there are no gaps. Spread one quarter of remaining sauce evenly on the lasagna noodles. Now layer one-third of the roasted vegetables on top of the sauce, spreading them evenly. Spread about one quarter of the crumbled vegan mozzarella (if using) on top of the vegetables. Now add another layer of noodles, and repeat the layering process with the sauce, the vegetables and the cheese till you have three layers. Place another layer of noodles on top of the third layer and top with remaining sauce and mozzarella (if using).
Cover the lasagna pan with aluminum foil.
Bake in a 375-degree oven for 40 minutes.
Now remove the foil and continue baking for another 5 minutes or until the cheese on top gets bubbly and starts to turn golden.
Remove from oven and let stand for a few minutes before cutting.
Eat and Enjoy!!!
