Lasagna is a favorite with most people. Because of the great health benefits, we add vegetables to as many dishes as we can and lasagna is a perfect entree for doing that. Again we use the cashew cheese in place of either real cheese or processed vegan cheese which is mostly fat. Whole foods like nuts, vegetables, fruits and grains supply the antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, natural fiber and essential fats that God designed to fuel our bodies. With a little forethought and planning we can make delicious healthy dishes and greatly reduce the empty calories that come from refined fats and sugars.
Lasagna is another good way to learn to use whole grain pasta, giving the dish even more benefit to your body. I like it best when it has been cooked the day prior to eating and then reheated on the day you serve it. It can be made without the added vegetables, there are no hard and fast rules, whatever works for you. Don’t be overwhelmed by the long list of directions. Basically you just get the ingredients together, layer them in your casserole dish and bake.
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup yellow onion
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 teas onion powder or granules
- 1/2 teas salt
- 1/8 teas celery salt
- 1/8 teas garlic powder
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 brick firm tofu
- 1 teas Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teas salt
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 stick celery, diced
- 2 cups spinach leaves or 1 cup frozen chopped spinach
- 1 small zucchini, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups crumbled Vegan burger, your choice
- 1 1/2 - 2 quarts spaghetti sauce <--I like to combine basil and mushroom
- 9-12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles
- Combine all these ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Rinse and drain tofu. Mash with seasonings until consistency of cottage cheese. Set aside.
- Saute vegetables and burger in 2-3 teas[poons of oil or lightly Pam spray your fry pan, adding spinach and zucchini after 3-4 minutes. Continue to saute for a couple more minutes until zucchini is becoming tender. Set these ingredients aside to cool.
- Make sure your spaghetti sauce is a brand that is low in fat and sugar (no high fructose corn syrup) and contains no cheese. If you make your own, you are fortunate!
- Cook the noodles according to package directions. I like to drain them and lay flat on a cookie sheet with parchment between the first and second layer of noodles. Be sure and use plenty of sauce so the whole-wheat pasta will be tender and delicious.
- COVER the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch deep-sided dish with a layer of spaghetti sauce.
- LAY a layer of noodles side by side on top of the sauce.
- SPOON more sauce over the noodles.
- SPREAD 1/2 of all vegetables and burger over the sauce.
- DAUB 1/2 of tofu cheese over veggies.
- DRIZZLE 1/3 of cashew cheese over all.
- REPEAT steps 2-6
- TOP with noodles, spoon sauce to cover and drizzle on remainder of cashew cheese.
- COVER and BAKE at 350° for 45 minutes. UNCOVER and BAKE 10 more minutes or until cashew cheese is set. Remove from oven and let it stand for 10 minutes before serving. If you are making one day and serving the next, just bake it 30 minutes the first day and 30-40 the day you serve it.--make sure it is room temperature before you bake it or it will take longer. You may want to lay a piece of parchment over the top when you reheat it so it doesn't dry out. I wouldn't cover and seal it with foil.
If you wish to make the lasagna without precooking the noodles, to keep the pasta from becoming pasty, make sure you have plenty of sauce for the noodles to soak up while they are cooking. It is not my first choice, but I have done it with good success. Be sure and leave a half inch between the noodles and at the ends of your baking dish so the noodles can expand without buckling.