RECIPE: Spinach Lasagna (Vegan) Italy.

[Guest guest]

Another fave here in our household (my own recipe). Those who aren't vegan can,

I think, quickly figure out how to use eggs and dairy in place of the, er,

potentially healthier ingredients suggested here Please yourself.

 

SPINACH LASAGNA

 

whole wheat lasagna - as much as you need for your lasagna pan (most take nine

for 3 layers) - cooked al dente

1 smallish yellow onion, chopped

3 or 4 cloves garlic, finely minced

5 or 6 mushrooms, sliced

1 large can (28 ounces) tomatoes, chopped

a little more than half a 5.5-oz can tomato paste (save the bit that's left to

help out later - or to freeze)

1/2 tsp dried thyme or to taste

1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed chili peppers, or to taste

1 pkg soft or medium tofu, beaten to creamy texture

1 flax 'egg' (I add a little soy lecithin to mine)

several Tbsp nutritional yeast, to taste

freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce (optional)

salt to taste

1 10-oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and chopped and pressed VERY dry (I use a

strainer and a wooden spoon)

more nutritional yeast for the final topping, sprinkled

 

While the water for the lasagna is coming to the boil and all that, start the

sauce.

 

Put your onion in a large skillet over medium-high with a little water to saute

it until translucent. (You could use olive oil, but it works just fine without.)

When the onion is soft, add the garlic and the mushrooms and 'saute' a little

longer, until the mushrooms start to give up their liquid. Add the tomatoes but

NOT all of their juice yet - you may need it later, or not, depending on the

heat of your pan etc. Add the tomato paste, stirring it in well, the thyme and

chilies, bring all to the boil, lower the heat and continue to cook until the

tomatoes have broken down more and the whole thing is starting to look like a

nice chunky sauce. Add any extra juice from the can of tomatoes as needed.

 

While the sauce is simmering, beat your tofu into a creamier state. Add

nutritional yeast, pepper, salt if using, perhaps a dash

of vegan worcestershire sauce (if using), and taste for flavour. More

nutritional yeast will give a stronger 'cheezier' flavour, but remember that

this will be in the whole lasagna and so the flavour will diffuse a bit.

 

When you have the tofu as you like it, add the VERY dry spinach and stir it

around so that it is a nice green and white mixture.

 

Assuming that your noodles are cooked by now (plunged into cold water to stop

them cooking further and to await your pleasure) and that the sauce is ready,

assemble your lasagna.

 

Preheat your oven to 375F.

 

A couple of spoonfuls of the liquid part of the sauce gets smeared in the bottom

of your lasagna pan, then the first row of lasagna noodles. From then on,

alternate the tomato/mushroom sauce/mixture with the spinach mixture and the

next layer of noodles, as in any lasagna. Save enough WET sauce for the top (you

can thin this out a bit with a little of the remaining tomato can juice and/or

thicken with a little of the leftover tomato paste - this is not an exact

science). Okay, wet sauce over the top, sprinkles of nutritional yeast over the

sauce (I use a couple or so Tbsp), and you're ready to pop it into the oven.

 

Bake for around 45 minutes, covered in foil for the first half of that time. The

top should have browned and the juices should be bubbling. Let stand for 10

minutes before slicing.

 

 

Feeds 4 - 6. Serve with a nice salad

 

Best, Pat

[Guest guest]

Do you have a recipe for spinach ravioli? Thanks!

 

Caroline

 

_____

 

 

On Behalf Of Pat / 'River'

Saturday, September 26, 2009 6:19 PM

 

RECIPE: Spinach Lasagna (Vegan) Italy.

 

 

 

 

Another fave here in our household (my own recipe). Those who aren't vegan

can, I think, quickly figure out how to use eggs and dairy in place of the,

er, potentially healthier ingredients suggested here Please yourself.

 

SPINACH LASAGNA

 

whole wheat lasagna - as much as you need for your lasagna pan (most take

nine for 3 layers) - cooked al dente

1 smallish yellow onion, chopped

3 or 4 cloves garlic, finely minced

5 or 6 mushrooms, sliced

1 large can (28 ounces) tomatoes, chopped

a little more than half a 5.5-oz can tomato paste (save the bit that's left

to help out later - or to freeze)

1/2 tsp dried thyme or to taste

1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed chili peppers, or to taste

1 pkg soft or medium tofu, beaten to creamy texture

1 flax 'egg' (I add a little soy lecithin to mine)

several Tbsp nutritional yeast, to taste

freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce (optional)

salt to taste

1 10-oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and chopped and pressed VERY dry (I use a

strainer and a wooden spoon)

more nutritional yeast for the final topping, sprinkled

 

While the water for the lasagna is coming to the boil and all that, start

the sauce.

 

Put your onion in a large skillet over medium-high with a little water to

saute it until translucent. (You could use olive oil, but it works just fine

without.) When the onion is soft, add the garlic and the mushrooms and

'saute' a little longer, until the mushrooms start to give up their liquid.

Add the tomatoes but NOT all of their juice yet - you may need it later, or

not, depending on the heat of your pan etc. Add the tomato paste, stirring

it in well, the thyme and chilies, bring all to the boil, lower the heat and

continue to cook until the tomatoes have broken down more and the whole

thing is starting to look like a nice chunky sauce. Add any extra juice from

the can of tomatoes as needed.

 

While the sauce is simmering, beat your tofu into a creamier state. Add

nutritional yeast, pepper, salt if using, perhaps a dash

of vegan worcestershire sauce (if using), and taste for flavour. More

nutritional yeast will give a stronger 'cheezier' flavour, but remember that

this will be in the whole lasagna and so the flavour will diffuse a bit.

 

When you have the tofu as you like it, add the VERY dry spinach and stir it

around so that it is a nice green and white mixture.

 

Assuming that your noodles are cooked by now (plunged into cold water to

stop them cooking further and to await your pleasure) and that the sauce is

ready, assemble your lasagna.

 

Preheat your oven to 375F.

 

A couple of spoonfuls of the liquid part of the sauce gets smeared in the

bottom of your lasagna pan, then the first row of lasagna noodles. From then

on, alternate the tomato/mushroom sauce/mixture with the spinach mixture and

the next layer of noodles, as in any lasagna. Save enough WET sauce for the

top (you can thin this out a bit with a little of the remaining tomato can

juice and/or thicken with a little of the leftover tomato paste - this is

not an exact science). Okay, wet sauce over the top, sprinkles of

nutritional yeast over the sauce (I use a couple or so Tbsp), and you're

ready to pop it into the oven.

 

Bake for around 45 minutes, covered in foil for the first half of that time.

The top should have browned and the juices should be bubbling. Let stand for

10 minutes before slicing.

 

Feeds 4 - 6. Serve with a nice salad

 

Best, Pat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

, Caroline F Knoell <cfknoell wrote:

>

> Do you have a recipe for spinach ravioli? Thanks!

>

> Caroline

 

Wish I did and it'd be yours, but unfortunately I don't. Maybe someone else has

one?

 

Good luck!

Best, Pat