Vegan cooking: Experiment with lasagna layers – Duluth News Tribune

The phrase “lasagna” comes from the Historic Greek phrase “laganon,” which was the primary type of pasta. The identify roughly referred to a flat sheet of pasta. The unique dish consisted of sheets of pasta layered with sauce. “Lasagne” is the plural type of “lasagna.”

The perfect factor about vegan lasagne are the countless mouth-watering choices to tantalize your palate.

Contributed / Susan Alexander

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, diced small
• ½ cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup cooked brown lentils
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• (1) 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to style
• 2 tablespoons vegan margarine
• 2 cups non-dairy milk
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 9 lasagna noodles, boiled till al dente

Preheat oven to 350 levels. Saute carrots, onion, and mushrooms in oil. Add garlic, lentils, broth, tomatoes, and bay leaves. Cook dinner for a half-hour. Add salt and pepper to style and take away bay leaves.
Soften margarine in a pan and stir in flour. Slowly add non-dairy milk, stirring after every addition, to make a white sauce. Cook dinner till thickened. Add salt and pepper to style.

Assemble the lasagna. Evenly oil a 9-by-13-inch glass casserole dish. Place a layer of lasagna noodles on the underside of the pan, prime with one-third of the lentil combination. Prime with one-third of the white sauce. Prime with one other layer of lasagna noodles, then one other one-third of lentils and one other one-third of white sauce. End the lasagna with the final layer of noodles, then lentils, then white sauce.

Cook dinner within the oven for a few half-hour, or till browned on prime and sizzling all through.

Contributed / Susan Alexander

I really like the feel of this dish. You possibly can prepare dinner up a butternut squash (my desire) and puree it, or simply open a can of pumpkin. I just like the richness of soy milk on this recipe. I believe the pine nuts are greatest toasted on prime of the range in a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil, however pine nuts could be dry-roasted as nicely.

Filling:

• 1 can pumpkin
• ¼ cup on the spot potato flakes
• ¼ cup non-dairy milk
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

White sauce:

• ¼ cup vegan margarine
• ¼ cup all goal flour
• 3 cups dairy-free milk
• Sprint of nutmeg
• Canola oil
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Preheat oven to 350 levels. Cook dinner the lasagna noodles till barely tender. Take away from warmth, rinse in chilly water, and pat dry on a clear dish fabric. Put aside.
Combine pumpkin, potato flakes, soy milk, onion powder and garlic powder in a bowl. Put aside.

Subsequent, make a white sauce. In a medium pot, soften margarine over medium warmth, add flour, stir utterly, then slowly add 3 cups of dairy-free milk incorporating every addition utterly earlier than including extra. Add a touch of nutmeg.

Evenly oil a 9-by-11-inch baking dish. Put a few half-cup of the white sauce on the underside of the baking dish. Place a layer of noodles on prime of the white sauce. Subsequent unfold the squash on the noodles, then add one other layer of noodles. Then put the remaining white sauce on the highest. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and bake for half-hour or till piping sizzling all through.

Contributed / Susan Alexander

• 9 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
• 14-ounce package deal agency tofu, drained
• Salt to style
• Floor black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 giant onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
• 8-ounce package deal mushrooms, sliced
• (2) 10-ounce packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained of extra liquid

For the white sauce:

• 1/4 cup vegan margarine
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups soy milk (or different non-dairy milk)
• 2 tablespoons dietary yeast
• 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• Salt to style
• Floor black pepper
• 3 tomatoes, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350 levels. Drain and squeeze liquid from tofu. Crumble and season with salt and pepper.  Put aside.

Contributed / Susan Alexander

In a big skillet over medium warmth, warmth oil. Add onion and garlic and season with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon oregano. Add mushrooms and prepare dinner till softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in spinach till utterly mixed. Take away from warmth and put aside.

Wipe out skillet and return to medium warmth to make white sauce. Soften vegan margarine in a small pot, then add flour and whisk to mix. Whisk in non-dairy milk till clean. Stir in dietary yeast and garlic powder and season with salt and pepper. Carry to a simmer and let prepare dinner till thickened, 8-10 minutes.

In a big baking dish, spoon a quarter-cup marinara in a fair layer, then add a layer of noodles. Prime with a layer of vegetable combination, tofu, marinara, then white sauce. Repeat till all substances are used, ending in marinara. Add a single layer of tomato rounds and season with salt, pepper and remaining oregano.

Bake 35-40 minutes, till lasagna is heated by.

Contributed / Susan Alexander

A number of years in the past, I purchased a deep dish 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. The deep sides forestall spillovers and messy ovens. For those who don’t have a glass deep-dish baking dish, run out and get one. (After all, you possibly can all the time reduce on substances to forestall a spillover, but it surely’s simpler to simply purchase a deep baking dish.)

This recipe demonstrates that my husband doesn’t know the which means of restraint when constructing a lasagna.

• 3 giant zucchini squashes, lower into lengthy, skinny slices

For the vegan ricotta:

• 14 ounces agency tofu
• 2 tablespoons dietary yeast
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• Salt and pepper to style

Meat layer:

• (2) 14-ounce packages beefless crumbles
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 peppers, inexperienced, orange, crimson, yellow or a mixture, chopped into bite-sized items
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 32-ounce can tomato puree
• 8-ounce bag washed spinach
• Vegan mozzarella shreds

Preheat oven to 400 levels.
Make vegan ricotta: In a blender, combine tofu, dietary yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, salt and pepper till clean. Put aside. In a big skillet, saute burger crumbles, onion, and peppers within the canola oil till the onions and peppers soften. Add spices for the meat layer and saute for one more minute. Add tomato puree. Flip off warmth and assemble the lasagna layers.

Evenly oil a 9-by-13-inch deep-dish glass baking dish. Place a layer of zucchini on the underside (about one-third of the zucchini). Prime with about one-third of the meat sauce. Prime with a layer of spinach then ricotta. Repeat layers beginning with one other layer of zucchini. Unfold the final one-third of the meat sauce excessive layer of ricotta.

Cowl the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, prime with mozzarella, cowl, and bake for one more 20 minutes till zucchini is tender and the lasagna is piping sizzling.

Contributed / Susan Alexander

Double the recipe to make in an 8.5-by-11-inch (or bigger) baking dish.

• 1 package deal frozen vegan burger crumbles
• 4 tablespoons vegan taco seasoning (or make your personal)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 12-14 tender corn tortillas
• (2) 8-ounce tubs of vegan ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese
• 16-ounce jar chunky salsa
• Elective toppings: vegan bitter cream, inexperienced onions, avocado

Preheat oven to 350 levels. In a big skillet, saute burger crumbles till heated. Add the taco seasoning and a few half-cup of water (relying on the instructions on the packet). Stir till mixed and all water is absorbed. Put aside.
Oil an 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Layer 4 corn tortillas on the underside of the pan, reducing them to make them match, though overlapping them is okay. Subsequent, layer one-third of the ricotta, one-third of the burger crumble combination, one-third of the salsa and one-third of the vegan cheese. Repeat the layers two extra occasions.

Bake coated for 30-40 minutes or till the casserole has heated by. Let the casserole stand 10 minutes earlier than reducing. Garnish with vegan bitter cream, sliced inexperienced onions, and diced avocado, if desired.

Contributed / Susan Alexander

We love the flavors of this lasagna.

“Meat” sauce:

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 giant onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• ½ cup inexperienced or brown lentils
• ½ cup crimson wine
• 2 teaspoons beefless bouillon
• 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon floor cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon floor allspice
• ½ teaspoon floor cloves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ bunch parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Pepper to style

Bechamel sauce:

• ½ cup vegan margarine
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 cups non-dairy milk
• 2 teaspoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper, to style
• 1 pound tube formed pasta
• 1 can complete tomatoes drained reserving liquid (elective)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• About ¼ teaspoon floor nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 levels.
Make the “meat” sauce: Chop the chickpeas and walnuts into smaller items utilizing a meals processor. Put aside. Saute onion with oil, over medium warmth till onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped chickpea combination and the remainder of the meat sauce substances, cowl and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or till the lentils are cooked and the liquid is absorbed. Regulate the sauce and stir as wanted; you don’t need the meat sauce to burn. Add water because the meat sauce cooks, if wanted. (For those who’re utilizing complete tomatoes to prime off the pastitsio, add the liquid from draining the entire tomatoes to the meat sauce right here.) Take the lid off the sauce close to the top of cooking to cut back the quantity of liquid, if obligatory. The meat sauce ought to be moist, however not runny.

Make bechamel sauce: Soften margarine, add flour, then slowly mix in remaining substances. It’s okay if the sauce is just not completely clean.

Cook dinner pasta in accordance with package deal instructions, al dente. Drain. Combine 2½ cups of the bechamel sauce with the pasta.

Grease a 9-by-11-inch baking dish with the canola oil. Add half the pasta to the underside of the baking dish. Cowl the pasta with the “meat sauce” urgent down so it’s agency. Add the opposite half of the pasta on prime. Press all the way down to secures the layers.

Dot with complete tomatoes, if utilizing. Cowl the lasagna with the remaining bechamel and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Bake for 35-40 minutes till sizzling all through. Let cool 20 minutes earlier than reducing.

Contributed / Susan Alexander

Do you’re keen on meat and potatoes? This lasagna is for you!

• 1 package deal vegan bacon, lower or crumbled into small items
• 2 giant onions, chopped
• (2) 14- to 16-ounce packages vegan burger crumbles
• About ½ teaspoon every garlic powder and floor black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegan margarine
• 5 giant potatoes mashed with numerous vegan creamer or non-dairy milk and vegan margarine
• 1½ cups shredded vegan cheddar cheese
• 1 field lasagna noodles (cooked in accordance with package deal al dente)
• 4 vegan Kielbasa sausages, lower into quarter-inch rounds
• 15-ounce can sauerkraut

Preheat oven to 375 levels. Fry bacon, put aside. Saute onions till softened, add burger crumbles, garlic powder and black pepper. Put aside. Slice sausage, put aside. Drain sauerkraut, chop, rinse frivolously and chop. Don’t squeeze the liquid from the sauerkraut.
Slather sides and backside of 13-by-9-inch baking dish with vegan margarine. Put a layer of lasagna noodles within the dish. Add half of the mashed potatoes, sprinkle with about half cup of the vegan cheese, then prime with half of the burger crumble combination.

Make a second layer of lasagna noodles. Sprinkle with sauerkraut. Evenly distribute the kielbasa slices.

Make a 3rd layer of lasagna noodles. Add the remaining mashed potatoes and sprinkle with a half-cup vegan cheese and the remaining burger crumbles. Sprinkle with one other half-cup of vegan cheese and prime with crumbled vegan bacon.

Bake for 35 minutes till bubbly and sizzling all through.

Contributed / Susan Alexander

Have you ever found vegan Coco Whip, but? It’s probably the most scrumptious stuff ever! It’s discovered within the freezer part of many grocery shops. It defrosts in a single day within the fridge.

• Nabisco Graham Crackers
• 4 apples, peeled and cored
• 1 tablespoon vegan margarine
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon all goal flour
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon every ginger and nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• (2) 8-ounce tubs of Tofutti vegan cream cheese  
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons mild brown sugar
• 9-ounce tub Coco Whip coconut whipped topping, defrosted
• Retailer-bought vegan caramel sauce or chocolate sprinkles for topping, if desired

Contributed / Susan Alexander

Reduce apples into skinny slices. Saute apples in vegan margarine for a pair minutes. Add brown sugar, spices, and flour. Cook dinner for about 10 minutes. Cowl for a few minute. Stir in maple syrup. Take away from warmth and funky utterly.
Combine cream cheese with brown sugar, cinnamon, powdered sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Fold Coco Whip into cream cheese.

In an 8-by-8-inch baking dish, place a layer of graham crackers, one-third of the Coco Whip combination and half of the apples. Place one other layer of graham crackers on prime of the apples adopted by one other one-third of the cream cheese, and the remaining apple combination. Prime with one other layer of graham crackers and the final of the Coco Whip combination.

Prime with vegan caramel sauce or vegan chocolate sprinkles simply to make it fairly.

Susan Alexander is meals columnist for the Duluth Information Tribune. She loves gardening, farmers markets and creating scrumptious meals consisting of complete grains, recent greens and fruits.