By Lori Rodgers –
Vegan spinach lasagna
Garlic bread
Green salad with vinaigrette
Vegan Spinach Lasagna
My family recently moved into a home I remodeled and not all of the work was completed by moving day. Shocking, right? Wanting to cook a hot meal without the ability to boil water, I found no-boil lasagna noodles and adapted a recipe for vegan stuffed shells that was one of my daughter’s favorites. Making lasagne or any baked pasta dish without cheese or eggs seemed pointless to me at first. However, a bit of web surfing uncovered a plethora of dairy free recipes, including an unusual way to make “ricotta cheese”. Even though I am not vegan, I couldn’t stop eating this stuff! Read on and see how it’s done.
Ingredients
1 box no boil lasagne
I jar marinara sauce
I bag frozen spinach
I package veggie “sausage”
2 cups raw cashews
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- First, prepare the “ricotta cheese” by soaking the cashews in water overnight. If you are in a hurry you can soak them for one hour in hot water. After soaking, drain and place cashews in a blender or food processor. Add the lemon juice and sea salt and blend, scraping down sides of the bowl as you blend.
- Defrost and drain the spinach, squeezing the excess water. Combine the cashew mixture and the spinach and set aside.
- Crumble the veggie sausage and mix with 2/3 of the jar of marinara sauce.
- Spread ¼ cup marinara in the bottom of a large baking pan. Begin layering the noodles, sausage mixture and cashew “cheese”. You will have enough filling for three layers. Finish with a layer of noodles and ¼ cup marinara. Be sure to cover noodles completely with the sauce. Otherwise they will crisp as you bake them.
- Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Feeds a crowd!
PS If you don’t tell anyone this is a vegan or dairy-free recipe, chances are they won’t notice.
Vegan-friendly Garlic Bread
The Cuban bread from the Publix bakery does not contain dairy, eggs, or enzymes so it is vegan. I slice it and spread with melted vegan butter mixed with minced garlic. Layer the slices on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and pop it in a 400 degree oven for 5-7 minutes. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Serve immediately.
Green Salad
I usually have fresh salad greens in the refrigerator. Use what is on hand or choose one of my favorites, butter lettuce. Toss with a light vinaigrette. This is a perfect complement to the pasta and bread.