Vegan Comfort Food
Heavier meals can be a great transition food for those exploring veg diets. These comfort foods make a big impression, and they help address the complaint that vegan or vegetarian meals are not filling enough. Serve one of these dishes at your next event, and everyone will leave with a happy belly.
26 - Italian Lasagna Vegan-Style!
- Angel Flinn, October 21, 2010, Source
This is a recipe we reserve for special occasions, such as when we’re in celebratory mode, or when we’re trying to impress people who are skeptical about vegan food. It’s fairly time-intensive, but the end result is well worthwhile.
If you like the concept, but are keen on the idea of an easier version, check out page 4, where I have shared my own variation – Quick and Easy ‘Almost Lasagna’! It’s a simplified version I invented when we didn’t have the time to make the real thing, and it ended up becoming one of our favorite dishes.
If you have access to some good gluten-free pasta, such as the Tinkyada Brown Rice variety (they even make lasagna noodles, found at health food stores), you can make either of these recipes gluten-free, by either skipping on the ‘no-meat’ layer, or using tempeh instead of seitan… For those who can’t tolerate gluten, being able to enjoy a home-made lasagna is quite a rare treat.
For something a little more fun and interesting, and something the kids might enjoy, check out page 3 for ‘Easy Lasagna Roll-Ups’.
On page 5 is a recipe for a home-made Marinara Sauce… If you want to save time, feel free to use a store-bought sauce, but make sure you have plenty of it… This recipe is best when guests can help themselves to more sauce at the table.
Gourmet Italian Lasagna
yields one 9″ x 12″ deep casserole
5 or more cups Marinara Sauce (page 4)
10 oz. package lasagna noodles
‘No-Meat’ Layer
1-2 cakes tempeh or 1-2 lbs. seitan
1 tsp. onion powder
2-3 Tbsp. oil
tamari, to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
Tofu ‘Uncheese’ Layer
2 cups soft organic tofu, rinsed & drained
2 cups firm organic tofu, rinsed & drained
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. tamari or substitute
1/4-1/2 tsp. black pepper
5-6 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. dried oregano
4 tsp. oil
‘Cheesy’ Topping
1 cup soft organic tofu, rinsed & drained
1 Tbsp. tamari or substitute
4 Tbsp. oil
5-6 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1. Partially cook the lasagna noodles in boiling water for 6-8 minutes. (Cook in a flat pan, if you have one.) Rinse noodles, separate, flatten out and set aside in cold water.
2. In a food processor, grind tempeh or seitan with the “S” shaped blade, into tiny chunks. Pan-fry the ground tempeh/seitan until slightly crisp with 2 Tbsp. oil and tamari. Add remaining spices and yeast. Mix in one cup tomato sauce and cook for 5-10 minutes.
3. In a bowl, mash all Tofu ‘Uncheese’ ingredients together. Chill.
4. In a food processor, blend the ‘Cheesy’ Topping ingredients. Set aside.
5. Spread one cup of tomato sauce over the bottom of an oiled 9″ x 12″ pan. Lay four noodles down and spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce over them. Flatten in the “no-meat” layer and pour another 3/4 cup of sauce over it.
6. Place another layer of four noodles, then spread another 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Mash and flatten in the tofu layer and then another noodle layer. Spread one cup of tomato sauce over the noodles and sprinkle with oregano (optional).
7. Spread and swirl the ‘Cheesy’ Topping over the top. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 40-50 minutes at 350°. Cool somewhat before slicing. Serve with sauce on top.