Vegan Lasagna

Per the request of a Facebook friend. :) The original inspiration for this recipe came from Naturally Gourmet, by Karen Houghton. Page 141 contains a recipe for stuffed shells. I liked that recipe very much and wanted to have it one night for dinner. I couldn't find the shells in any of my local grocery stores at that time, but I did find organic, whole wheat no-boil lasagna noodles. So, I figured, why not? Here's my adaptation.

"Cheese" filling:

4 cups (about 2 packages) tofu, extra firm, water packed

1-2 tsp salt (to taste)

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

3/4 cup Vegenaise (a vegan mayonaise, available at Whole Foods and Sunflower Market. A bit more expensive than real mayo, but it's vegan, and quite worth it)

2 sprigs fresh basil OR 2 tsp dried

1-2 tsp lemon juice

Don't be too concerned about getting the amounts exactly perfect here.  Many of these ingredients are "to taste".  Adjust to suit your family's tastes. 

Take tofu out of it's water packaging, squeeze a bit to get out the excess, crumble into a big bowl. Add all the other above ingredients and smash up with your hands.

The Rest:
Nutritional yeast (available at Whole Foods or Sunflower Market)
1-2 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 box of lasagna noodles, regular or "no boil".

Spread a layer of sauce in a 13" x 9"(ish) baking pan, then a layer of uncooked noodles, then a layer of the tofu mixture, then sprinkle a layer of Nutritional yeast. Repeat as necessary until you reach the top of the pan. Make sure you leave a little bit of the tofu mixture to dollop on the very top, plus another sprinkling of the nutritional yeast. (It gives a savory, parmesan type flavor, not to mention it's loaded with B-vitamins, minerals and protein)

Cover the pan with aluminum foil, place in a 350 degree oven. If you are using no-boil noodles, cook covered for 30 minutes, then remove foil and cook for another 15. If using regular noodles, cook covered for 45 minutes, remove foil and then cook uncovered for 15. After cooking, let stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to "rest" before serving.

If you like this recipe, please buy Ms. Houghton's book.  Admittedly, a little pricey, but well worth it.  There are TONS of great plant based recipes in there.  We have tried quite a few recipes from this book and have been amazed at how wonderfully tasty they all are. Who knows, you may even be able to convince the most hardened of carnivores to eat his veggies.  :)