VEGAN

Cheesy, Meaty, Spinach Pesto Lasagna

A great dish to serve to friends and really impress those meat-eaters. Because the cheese mixture in this recipe was soy-based, I was pleased that the meat was based primarily on a veggie. Make a huge batch so that you can freeze the leftovers and enjoy another lasagna-based meal later on, without all the prep.

Ingredients:

• 8-12 sheets lasagna, parboiled for 5 minutes (I used Tinkyada rice lasagna)
• 1 recipe tofu ricotta (I used the recipe from Cozy Inside; you could also use this one)
• about 5 cups (1200 ml) homemade or prepared marinara sauce (for ACD, be sure it doesn’t contain sugar)
• 1 batch Spinach Pesto (recipe follows)
• 1 batch ground “meat’ (recipe follows)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Grease a 9 inch (22.5 cm) square pan and 8 inch (20 cm) loaf pan. (If you have a larger pan that equals the same area, please feel free to use it instead of two separate pans).

In a medium-sized bowl, fold the cheese and pesto together, just enough to combine (I left a few blobs of pesto visible here and there–you can mix it in completely if you wish). Set aside.

Line up the different ingredients so they’re ready to go, assembly-line style.

Cover the bottom of each pan with one layer of lasagna noodles. If necessary, overlap the noodles, but no more than 1/4 inch (.5 cm) to fit them into the pans (I broke them into smaller pieces to accomplish this).

Measure out about 1-1/2 cups (360 ml) of the sauce and set aside.

Using the remainder of the sauce, spoon a thick layer of sauce over the noodles in each pan (I used about 3/4 cup/180ml for the loaf, 1 cup/240 ml for the square pan). No noodles should be visible.

Divide the cheese mixture in half. Using one half of the cheese mixture, sprinkle it evenly over the sauce in each of the pans (I used about 2/3 of one half to cover the square pan, and 1/3 of one half to cover the loaf–in other words, 1/3 of the total in the square pan and 1/6 of the total in the loaf pan).

Divide the meat mixture in half. Using one half of the meat mixture, sprinkle it evenly over the cheese in each of the pans (I used about 2/3 of one half to cover the square pan, and 1/3 of one half to cover the loaf–in other words, 1/3 of the total in the square pan and 1/6 of the total in the loaf pan).

Repeat the layers one more time, using up all the cheese and meat. Cover with one more layer of noodles, then coat with the reserved sauce.

Bake in preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, until bubbly and browned on the edges. Remove from oven and allow to set for at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Makes 8-10 servings. May be frozen.

Spinach Pesto:

• 1 cup (240 ml) lightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) lightly toasted walnut halves and/or pine nuts (I used a combination)
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
• 1 bunch (about 1/2 pound or 230 g) fresh spinach, trimmed and washed (stems included)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Use as is or mix with ricotta cheese. Will keep, covered, in refrigerator up to 3 days. May be frozen.

Meaty Veg-Based Ground “Meat”:

• 1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and washed, broken into florets (about 1 pound/450 g after trimming)
• 2 cups (250 g) raw walnut halves
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
• 2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1tsp (5 ml) garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) dried sage
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) smoked paprika
• 1 tsp (5 ml) liquid smoke (for ACD Stage 1, use more smoked paprika)
• 1/2-3/4 tsp (2.5-3.5 ml) fine sea salt, to taste
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) Bragg’s liquid aminos, soy sauce, or tamari (ACD Stage 1 use Bragg’s only)–omit for an entirely soy-free “meat”

Preheat oven to 350 F (180C). Line a large rimmed cookie sheet or rectangular pan with parchment, or spray with nonstick spray.

In a food processor, blend the cauliflower and nuts to a fine meal. Depending on how grainy you like your “meat,” it can be more or less fine; I made mine like a coarse cornmeal.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add remaining ingredients.

Using your (clean) hands, knead everything together thoroughly, until the grounds are uniformly coated.

Turn the mixture into the pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 45 minutes and up to 1 hour 15 minutes (it will depend on the size of the pan and how thick the mixture is when you first begin to bake it), stirring after 30 minutes and then every 15 minutes after that, until the meat is dry and brown (if the layer underneath comes up looking wet and white–as cauliflower tends to do–then you need to keep baking). The grounds will begin to separate and intensify in color as they roast.

Once the meat is cooked, you can cool, package, and freeze it for later use, or use it right away. Will keep, up to 3 days, covered in the refrigerator. May be frozen.


More photos available here.

Submitted by Ricki Heller, PhD, RHN-- Author of Sweet Freedom: Desserts You'll Love without Wheat, Eggs, Dairy or Refined Sugar. Twitter:@RickiHeller Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diet-Dessert-and-Dogs/124799880868208?ref=ts



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Photo Credit: Ricki Heller