j 9/18/14 j 9/18/14

Vegan Lasagna

I'm so busy this week, but I wanted to post this. Vegan Lasagna!

So many vegan lasagnas only use tofu instead of ricotta. It's alright, but it's not great. So, I still used tofu, but the base was grated cauliflower, tamari sauce, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, onion powder and a smidgen of smoky paprika.

I started by preparing the base and then crumbling in the extra-firm tofu. Set it aside while grating the rest of the veg: broccoli, peppers, courgette, carrots and the non-woody stalks of asparagus.

Then add those greeted veggies to a heated pan with olive oil and sauté until tender. This helps reduce the water content and helps build flavour. I was in a rush, so I used canned pasta sauce.

I decided to grill the aubergine instead of grating it. So, just in a hot skillet, I seared it with a bit of olive oil. The spinach also seemed to be too good to chuck through a grater, so I wilted it quickly with olive oil. And salt! Carefully season everything after it's been reduced/seared/sweated.

Sometime when all of this was going on, I boiled the lasagne noodles. You could totally go gluten free, but these are just regular wheat noodles. Either way, be sure not to over cook them. Just soften them - ultra al dente? They'll get more cooking in the oven.

Then, begin building the dish: layer sauce, noodle, spinach and then "ricotta" filling until the dish is almost full. Be sure the top layer is sauce, and that the noodles are fully covered - otherwise they get hard and dry. Then arrange extra veg on the top. I think this makes a nice addition to any lasagna. I topped it with asparagus spears, tomatoes, olives and more grilled eggplant.

Bake for about 30-45 minutes.

I served it with a fresh sprig of basil and a drizzle of aged balsamic and olive oil.

j 11/30/13 j 11/30/13

Breakfast Wraps

The perfect weekend food - breakfast wraps. Full of veg, egg scramble and hashed browned 'taters, these wraps start your day off right!

First, start the tater tots, or any hashed potatoes, baking. Make sure they're crispy to give a satisfying crunch. Then sauteing mixed vegetables: zucchini, onions, tomatoes, peppers and carrots. Once they're tender, set aside and keep warm. In the same pan, add beaten eggs and a hearty spice blend: sriracha, onion powder, smoky paprika, turmeric and salt. Some fresh spinach completes the dish, but any lettuce will do.

Wrap it up and enjoy!

j 11/9/13 j 11/9/13

Autumn Gardening 2013

Growing happily in the cool weather: spinach, kale, lettuce, garlic, and beets.

j 11/6/13 j 11/6/13

Soba Noodles with Oyster Mushrooms and Spinach

Fresh oyster mushrooms make this dish a classic. Add a bit of chili for a kick and spinach for colour and flavour. It's the perfect thing for a cool autumn evening.