Vegan Lasagne

While organizing a dinner and dance fundraiser, we had decided to serve lasagna. I figured it would be a good idea to make a vegan lasagna, for one, I can't eat meat or dairy, and in the event that a vegetarian should show up at the event (there were three). I came across this recipe on Lindsay Hutton's Green Living blog, and tried it out. I did make a few adjustments,but this lasagna is totally awesome, and I have made it since. You can check out her blog at : http://www.greenlivingonline.com/blog/lindsayhutton

Lindsay’s Vegan Lasagna (plus some extras)

The sauce:

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large can whole tomatoes, hand crushed

1 can tomato paste

1 package ground soy (unflavoured or “regular;” )

1 cube vegetable stock dissolved in 1 1/2 cups warm water

3 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or basil

Salt and pepper (to taste)

The spinach layer filling:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 12-oz. package soft tofu, drained

1 tub YOSO vegan cream cheese

3 cups roughly chopped baby spinach

1 tbsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

The lasagna:

16 cooked lasagna noodles (feel free to use the kind that don’t require pre-boiling)

2 packs of shredded Rice Mozzarella cheese

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.

2. To prepare the sauce, sauté the garlic and onion in the olive oil until transulucent on medium-high heat in a large saucepan.

3. Add the ground soy and fry for approximately two minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper and stock and simmer on low for twenty minutes.

5. Add the fresh oregano or basil and cook for ten more minutes. Give it a taste and see if it requires more seasoning.

6. To prepare the filling, combine the olive oil, soft tofu, 1 pack of shredded rice cheese and vegan cream cheese in a large bowl and whip with a fork or whisk until smooth.

7. Combine the rest of the ingredients of the filling, and set aside.

8. Spray a 9 X 13” casserole dish with cooking spray, and with a ladle, spread a layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan.

9. Place a layer of noodles above the sauce, and spread more sauce atop the noodles, and roughly mix in a thin layer of soy cheese.

10. Place another layer of noodles, then spread your spinach filling. Repeat step 9.

11. For the final topping, spread the remainder of the sauce overtop the noodles, and top with the remaining cheese. Tip: To help your vegan cheese melt, gently press the cheese into the sauce a bit – the extra moisture from the sauce will help the melting process.

12. Cover with tin foil, and bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes.

Image credit: acam.typepad.com