Vegan Lasagna

My friends in the area are mostly meateaters... but everybody was more than happy with this vegan lasagna! It served two purposes - it fit well with my partner's current nutritional plan, which requires LOTS of veggies, a fair amount of protein, but minimal dairy; and it satisfies my meateating friend with a dairy allergy. I sent leftovers home with everybody for the next day - and they were consumed by a few folks as a midnight snack instead, only a few hours after the first round. Now that's a rave review as far as I'm concerned! 

I've learned a few tricks over the years when experimenting with vegan food that make their way into this recipe. Not that I think that cooking vegan food requires "substitutes" - but lasagna is such a fabulous comfort food!!! First of all, cashew butter and silken tofu make a pretty amazing dairy substitute (in frostings too!!! I'll include a recipe soon). But you have to be careful with the cashew butter, which has a significant amount of saturated fat. Secondly, toasted sesame seeds and sliced almonds make a pretty decent substitute for parmesan toppings. I'm indebted to Chandra Moskowitz for the topping: as a Parmesan substitute, she recommends processing toasted sesame seeds and almonds in a food processor with salt and lemon zest - I'm inclined to use the milder flavor of lime juice instead.

Sauce 2 Tbs olive oil 4 garlic clove, minced 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped 2 can (28 oz) unsalted crushed tomatoes 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste 1 Tbs dried oregano 1/4 tsp thyme 2 Tbs pesto 1/2 tsp salt pepper to taste Tofu Filling 2 12-oz pkgs light silken tofu, firm 1/4 cup unsalted cashew butter (or 1/3 cup cashews ground in the food processor, with 1 t olive oil added) 1 Tbs lime juice

1/2 cup pesto 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes 1/2 tsp salt Vegetable Layer 2 Tbs olive oil 2 garlic clove, chopped 1 1/2 lbs baby braising greens, or a spinach / arugula blend 1/4 tsp salt pepper to taste Topping 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds 2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp lime juice 1 pkg no cook lasagna noodles (the flat kind)

1	Prepare the topping by processing all ingredients in a food processor. Toasting the sesame seeds and almonds isn't absolutely necessary, but it adds to the flavor.
2	Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan with olive spray or canola spray.  Preheat oven to 350.
3	Prepare the red sauce (use a bottle of your favorite marinara or a roasted red pepper sauce if you need to save time). Heat the olive oil. Add onions and saute for ten minutes. Add the garlic and peppers, and saute for five minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for ten minutes.
4	Prepare the tofu mixture while the sauce is simmering. Combine all of the tofu mixture ingredients. Mix with a fork until well blended.
5	Prepare the greens. (Don't forget to turn off the marinara!) Saute the garlic for 1 minute in a wok or large saucepan. Add all greens and toss in the pan until wilted.
6	Spread 1/2 cup red sauce in the bottom of the pan.
7	Layer noodles on top of the red sauce. Follow with 1/2 of the tofu mixture, 1/2 of the greens, and 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Repeat. Top with a layer of noodles and remaining sauce, then sprinkle the topping over the top.
8	Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Store in the fridge for up to a day, or cook immediately. Bake for 45 minutes, or until noodles are soft when pricked with a fork or toothpick. Allow to rest ten minutes before serving.

Servings: 12

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/12 of a recipe (7.9 ounces). Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.

Amount Per Serving Calories 365.41 Calories From Fat (43%) 156.75 % Daily Value Total Fat 18.12g 28% Saturated Fat 3.16g 16% Cholesterol 3.6mg 1% Sodium 527.97mg 22% Potassium 695.72mg 20% Total Carbohydrates 40.72g 14% Fiber 4.66g 19% Sugar 4.93g Protein 13.23g 26% Vitamin A 1992.07IU 40% Vitamin B12 0.06mcg 1% Vitamin B6 0.29mg 15% Vitamin C 37.63mg 63% Vitamin E 3.46mg 35% Vitamin K 78.01mcg 98%

Lighter, Quicker Vegetable Lasagna

Since we don't have a grill (someday we'll manage that!), we enjoy our outdoor summer meals on the back deck by preparing them in advance to reduce the time in the kitchen right before guests arrive.  The layering of lasagna means that for us, at least, it's always time consuming enough to make it a special treat.  But even as a special treat, I find most lasagna recipes ridiculously heavy!  This recipe satisfies even my pickiest acquaintance, a regular crusader against low fat products of any kind.  

To speed it up, the recipe calls for frozen veggies and no-cook noodles; you can speed it up even further by replacing the first five ingredients in the vegetable sauce with a jar of your favorite marinara.  

To lighten it even further, you can use non-fat ricotta and mozzarella, then spray each layer with olive oil.  However, you'll find that the nutritional profile here is quite balanced as-is, even for folks on special diets.

Ingredients

Cheese filling 1 12 oz pkg silken tofu 1 1/2 cup low fat ricotta 3 Tbsp pesto 1 clove garlic 1/2 tsp salt pepper 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese (or Italian 4 cheese blend) 1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan Vegetable sauce 3 Tbs olive oil 2 med onions, chopped 2-5 garlic cloves, minced (depending on taste!)

1 can (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste 1 zucchini, cut in 1/2" slices 3/4 cups diced celery (frozen is fine) 1 1/2 cups diced carrots (frozen is fine) 1/4 cup cooking wine or dry wine 1 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts 4 bay leaves 3 Tbsp pesto 2 tsp dried oregano 1 pinch thyme 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste) pepper to taste 1 package no cook lasagna noodles

Procedure 1	Spray bottom of 9x13 pan with spray canola oil or olive oil.
2	Preheat oven to 350.
3	Heat oil in saucepan (use a nonreactive saucepan). Saute onions for five minutes. Add garlic and zucchini; saute for another ten minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots, celery, bay leaves, and wine. Simmer for 10 minutes, until carrots are softened. Remove bay leaves. Stir in pesto, oregano, and thyme. If using a jar marinara instead, mix all the ingredients at once and saute for about 10-15 minutes until carrots are softened; keep an eye on it and add some water if it gets to thick for your taste.
4	(To save time, do this while sauce is simmering!) Add tofu, ricotta cheese, pesto, and garlic to a bowl. Combine with a fork until well blended. Add half of the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and stir until spices are evenly distributed.
5	Spread 1 cup of tomato vegetable sauce on bottom of 9x13 pan. Spread a single layer of raw lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread on half of cheese mixture and sprinkle with 1/4 each of remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat layers of tomato sauce, noodles, cheese mix, and grated cheeses. Spread the artichoke hearts over this layer. Add a final layer of noodles, remaining tomato sauce, and cheese.
6	Cover tightly with aluminum foil. At this point you can store the lasagna in the fridge overnight if you prefer. If stored for over four hours, bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and brown for ten. If stored for less time, bake for 45 minutes or until noodles are soft when poked with a toothpick, then remove foil and brown for ten. Lasagna should always rest 10 minutes before serving.

Servings: 12

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/12 of a recipe (10.5 ounces). Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.

Amount Per Serving Calories 355 Calories From Fat (31%) 107 % Daily Value Total Fat 12g 19% Saturated Fat 4g 20% Cholesterol 18mg 6% Sodium 620mg 26% Potassium 755mg 22% Total Carbohydrates 47g 16% Fiber 6g 24% Sugar 4g Protein 16g 32% Vitamin A 3733IU 75% Vitamin B12 0.23mcg 4% Vitamin B6 0.34mg 17% Vitamin C 19.44mg 32% Vitamin E 1.33mg 13% Vitamin K 10.99mcg 14%