vegan lasagna

Happy Thursday! I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm a huge Project Runway fan. And I'm more than happy with Leanne as the winner! Her modern designs & use of sustainable materials had me the whole season. Plus, I despise Kenley . . .

So, my vote last night was "anyone but" her.

Blah. It's a bit early for my brain this morning . . . and the mornings are much, much darker now (and today, rainy and cold). We've finally begun our decent into winter, so I guess all that's left to do is enjoy the ride. Anyway, vegan lasagna is a nice food for cold weather. It's hot, of course, but also substantial and full of healthy vegetables, carbohydrates, and -- at least with this recipe -- protein (with the tofu). AND, if you don't have a husband with an endless pit for a stomach, if can last for three or even more dinners (for two people -- this recipe makes about 9 servings)!


VEGAN LASAGNA

What you'll need . . .

. . . for the sauce:

• 1 medium eggplant, chopped
• 1 yellow squash (or zucchini), chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• Balsamic vinegar (to taste)
• 1 large can tomato sauce (I used a roasted garlic one . . . I just can't get enough)

. . . for the tofu filling:

• 1 brick of firm tofu
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 can black beans (or more, if desired)

. . . for the rest:

• 1 package whole wheat lasagna noodles
• Bread crumbs (for topping -- as much as you want

Method . . .

1. Begin boiling water in a large stockpot for the noodles.
2. Press the tofu to get as much moisture out as possible. (Put tofu on plate, top with another plate, and place something heavy on top. Every so often, check and dump excess water from plate . . . flip over tofu, and repeat).
3. Prepare and chop all vegetables.
4. In a large frying pan, add about 1 tablespoon olive oil and then add the onion, eggplant, and squash. Cook for a few minutes (until glassy).
5. In a small saucepan, pour desired amount of balsamic vinegar and add mushrooms. Cook for approx. 5 minutes.
6. Add the sauce to the onion/eggplant/squash mixture. Then add in the mushrooms and cook on medium-low heat.
7. The water should be boiling by now, so add in the lasagna noodles one at a time and slowly mix. You'll only cook the noodles for 10 minutes. They should still be hard, but this is OK -- they'll finish cooking in the oven.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.
   
9. In a medium bowl, squeeze tofu with your hand until it resembles ricotta cheese. Add the pumpkin, garlic, salt, and black beans. Continue mixing by hand until well incorporated.
10. Once the noodles have finished cooking, drain and spray with cold water (if you don't have a sprayer, just pour cold water on top so you can handle them).
11. Pour a thin layer of sauce (1/3 of the sauce) at the bottom of a pyrex (glass) 9"x13" pan.
    
12. Add a layer of noodles (3 across), then top with a layer of the tofu mixture (1/3 of the mixture). Add another layer of three noodles and then top with another layer of the sauce mixture.
    
13. Continue until all mixtures are gone (if you followed the 1/3 rule, you should have 4 layers of noodles -- with a layer of sauce on top. Top with breadcrumbs and cover with tin foil.
14. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. You may also wish to take the tin foil off after the 30 minutes and cook uncovered for another 5 (or so) minutes.

To round out this post, I thought I'd share some photos of the last leaves of fall in my area (Have a lovely day!):







Today's post is part of VeganMoFo. For more delicious vegan recipes -- including sweets, soups, and other scrumptious things -- keep reading METHOD (subscribe to my RSS feed -- pretty please!). As well, check out the VeganMoFo Flickr group.