The Foundations ~ Build Me Up Buttercup
Strauss Jr: Blue Danube
Tina Dico ~ The Time Of Our Lives
Pink Floyd ~ Fearless
Dead Boots ~ On The Rocks
Bing Crosby ~ Temptation
Maroon 5 ~ Sweetest Goodbye
Beth Hart ~ For My Friends
Plant & Kraus ~ Trampled Rose
Imelda May ~ Sneaky Freak
Foo Fighters ~ Gimme Stitches
Dave Matthews Band ~ Warehouse
Luke Morley ~ Loving You
Nickelback ~ Never Again
I have a love/hate feeling about veggie lasagne. I love a good homemade lasagne packed with fresh veggies and freshly made sauces but hate frozen processed store bought offerings. I dislike the veggies they put in them which are always the same chunks of aubergine, courgette and onion. They are also tough and chewy..and white pasta is always slimey and the sauce tasteless. I did have an awful experience in one restaurant where they served me a slice of completely frozen lasagne...well all frozen except the very edges. *shudder*
Now serve me up a portion of a good homemade vegan lasagne with some salad and I'm one happy vegan chick. I actually enjoy the process of making lasagne...oh you know me by now lol..I put on some good music and I completely Zen out in the kitchen work.
I have called this lasagne Patchwork because it is not all my own creation. The tomato sauce is the K.I.S.S Marinara Sauce from the Veganomicon cookbook from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero...it's an almost perfect sauce. The 'white' sauce is part of a recipe I found online by Heather at With A Side Of Sneakers. Her vegan lasagne looked so good and when I read the recipe I knew I had to test the sauce out. I do have GF noodles but I chose to use wholemeal this time. My vegetable layer was chosen simply by what I was feeling in the mood for...lol. And I chose a mix of dried breadcrumbs and mature cheddar style vegan cheese for the topping.
I had help when making this lasagne as my nieces were here and they quality controlled all the sauces as they were made and all veggies as they were chopped..lol. So I have from the harshest of critics, that it's one heck of a tasty lasagne...
The creaminess of this lasagne was just what I was hoping for and the white sauce was perfect. Combined with the marinara, noodles and veggies it made for a seriously tasty dish. Complete comfort food which in my book is never a bad thing every now and then...
And I confess now that I find it almost impossible to photograph lasagne and bakes...and even more so when I am a little shaky so many apologies for the photos today...lol.
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| Patchwork Veggie Stuffed Lasagne |
Patchwork Veggie Stuffed Lasagne Serves 8
(Recipe creation a joint effect as stated above)
12 wholemeal lasagne sheets or sheets of choice
Marinara Sauce:
2 tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil
8 garlic cloves, minced
4 tins of chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp sugar
salt and black pepper to taste
Cream Filling Sauce:
1 tin of cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup of raw cashews, soaked in water for 30 minutes
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup veggie stock or water
1 tbsp basil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp onion
Vegetable Layer:
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 small carrots, thinly sliced into half moons
good handful of baby spinach, chopped
1 large courgette, quartered and sliced
10 Brussels sprouts, sliced
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
3 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
2 oz mature cheddar style vegan cheese, grated
Marinara
In a large saucepan heat the oil and then add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, herbs and season and stir well, bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer, cook for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat and then blend until smooth. Set to one side.
Cream Filling
Add all ingredients into a processor and blend until smooth. I needed to add a little water but no more than a 1/4 cups worth. Set to one side.
Vegetable Layer
In a large skillet heat the oil and then saute the peppers, carrots, courgette and Brussels sprouts. Stir well to coat in the oil and then cook over a low heat for 15 minutes. Add the chopped baby spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted. Remove from heat and set to one side.
Assembly:
Pre-heat the oven to 350'F/200'C/GM 6 and ready a 11" by 8" lasagne dish.
Lay a thin base of marinara sauce over the bottom of the dish and then cover with lasagne sheets. Then add more marinara...followed by a layer of veggies...then the creamy sauce. Repeat this once more. Then one more layer of marinara and noodles. A final layer of marinara smoothed over the top of the noodles and then liberally sprinkle the top with the breadcrumb/vegan cheese mix. Season with freshly cracked black pepper.
Cover loosely with foil and then bake for 30 minutes covered then 15 minutes uncovered.
Remove from the oven and serve...
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| Gratuitous close up of this creamy lasagne... |
Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Sunday has been a peaceful one...
~Red~
NB: The recipe for K.I.S.S Marinara Sauce is not mine and therefore I take no credit for it's creation. That is the hard work and creative talent of Isa Chandra Moslowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Also the recipe for the Creamy Filling is not mine and once again I take no credit whatsoever for its creation as that is the hard work and talent of Heather @ A Side Of Sneakers. I thank all of them for such great recipes which helped me create this lasagne. Respect...~R~
