Lasagna: A Layer by Layer Tutorial

I scoured the entire city today for some damn Daiya mozzarella shreds. Yes, really. Unbelievable, I know. To top it off, it's a crappy day today. Just pouring down rain, windy, muggy, nasty day. What a perfect night for comforting lasagna.

Everyone knows how to make lasagna, right? I don't know, maybe not. I'd like to give you a simply lasagna tutorial today. All while watching Extreme Couponing! (I am just bewildered by these people. It's crazy!)

Lasagna

• 1 lb lasagna noodles (not the "no boil" kind)
• 1 batch of pasta sauce (or jar sauce, if you must)
• 1 batch tofu ricotta
• 1 bag Daiya mozarella shreds
• ~1 cup fresh spinach (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º. You'll prepare the noodles first, and no, you're not boiling them! I repeat, do not boil the noodles. Instead, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes. I do this by filling a separate lasagna pan with about 2" of hot tap water. (Note: my tap water is extremely hot.) Then I layer 4-6 noodles in the hot water for 5 minutes. When the first batch of noodles are ready, begin layering.

Lay 3-4 noodles in a lasagna pan. Spread a layer of tofu ricotta over the noodles followed by a layer of sauce. Next sprinkle the spinach over top (if using). I just tear the spinach with my hands, no fancy chopping needed here. Last, sprinkle a nice layer of Daiya mozz. That's it! Now, repeat so you have 3 complete layers. Once finished, pour the remaining sauce over top and cover the top with a final layer of mozz.

Cover loosely with foil, and bake 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5-10 more minutes. When it's finished your Daiya will be incredibly melty and delicious. If you let it sit for a few minutes, it will hold together a little better when you cut slices.

Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes (and Bruschetta!)

I had planned on making this dish for my grandparents when they came to visit. My grandfather has a very restricted diet due to some health issues. They definitely don't understand why I (or anyone) would choose to eat vegan, but I am determined to become their personal chef this summer and show them just how much their quality of life can be improved just through food.

Regrettably, I don't have a photo of the dish. It's so quick and easy that I devoured it before I could get the camera out. 

Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes

• 1/2 lb whole wheat pasta
• 2 medium sized zucchini
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

First, get your water ready for the pasta, this dish comes together quickly. Now, thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise, about 1/8" thick. I used a mandolin* to get nice even pieces. If using oil, heat in a large pan over medium heat for about a minute and add dried herbs and garlic powder. 

If not using oil just continue with the following directions, adding spices with the zucchini. 

(Make sure you add the pasta when the water starts boiling!) Add zucchini slices to pan. Cook about 1 minute, turn, then add entire can of diced tomatoes, including the liquid. Cover and let cook on medium until the pasta is done. 

Alternatively, you could marinate the zucchini in the oil and seasonings for an hour or 2, or even overnight. But who has that kind of time. 

To serve, scoop pasta into bowls and top with zucchini tomato mixture. Add salt and pepper if desired.

Now, this recipe also becomes an easy bruschetta. Just follow the same cooking directions for the zucchini and tomatoes. You may want to chop the zucchini into smaller pieces, or you might not. Spoon the mixture over a nice piece of Italian bread and enjoy.

*You don't have a mandolin yet? Seriously, what the hell are you waiting for. You can get a good quality one for pretty cheap basically anywhere. I have a handheld one, it was about 20 bucks. This may be one of the best kitchen tools to have. Now, go get yourself one. Go on. I'll wait...

Sunday Night Sauce

Hello my blogi's. I do apologize for my extended absence. I found myself quite sick, not with the flu, but something just as bad, if not worse, on Valentine's day. Luckily for me, this sickness lasted over a week. Now, let's get right back to things here.

We have a Sunday night tradition here. It's actually my family's tradition, which I happily brought along with me when I moved. Each and ever Sunday we have pasta with gravy. No, not the gravy you put on mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, gravy in this sense means tomato sauce.

Dinner prep on Sunday begins early in the morning. Before breakfast is made, sauce is being started.

Feel free to use this recipe as a guideline. You can customize your sauce to your owns taste and texture likes. For example, you can use two cans of tomato sauce if you want something a little thinner. Or, you can use two cans of crushed tomatoes if you want something a little chunkier. Experiment until you find the combination you like. Additionally, you can add whatever dried spices you prefer. I always use dried herbs, but if I have fresh herbs around, I use those also.

Gravy (aka Sauce)
Serves 2 (with some leftovers)

• olive oil to coat


• 1 large onion, chopped


• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped


• 1 28 oz can tomato sauce


• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes


• 1 6 oz can tomato paste


• garlic powder, to taste


• dried Italian seasonings blend, to taste


• crushed red pepper, to taste


• 1 lb pasta


• Italian bread for dipping

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onions, cook until soft about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, cook until just barely browned. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste, mix well. Bring to a rapid simmer, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Add the garlic powder, Italian seasonings and crushed red pepper, then cover. You can let the sauce sit like this, covered on low heat, all day. Once you are ready to eat, taste and season again if needed. Boil your pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, do not rinse, then mix pasta into the sauce until completely covered. Serve and top with an extra scoop of sauce. Dunk and scoop your extra sauce with the Italian bread. Serve with a nice side salad.

My favorite thing to do as a kid was to take a piece of Italian bread, spread it with butter and pile my spaghetti on top. Then I folded the piece of bread in half and voila! Spaghetti sandwich!

Now, seriously. Stop buying that jarred crap and make your own.

lasagna stoup

I veganized this recipe after my mom made it and promptly called me to rave about it. She thought it could be easily adapted, and well, she was correct. Lasagna stoup is the perfect meal on those days you get home from work late when its freezing out and you need something comforting. It comes together pretty easily, and if you are strapped for time takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. 

Vegan Lasagna Stoup original recipe from Rachel Ray

• olive oil to coat
• 1 package Gimme Lean ground beef style (see note) 
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 carrots, finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth or water + 2 cups
• 1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes with basil
• 1 pound lasagna noodles, broken into jagged pieces
• Daiya mozzarella to serve

In a large pot or dutch oven heat olive oil over medium high heat. Break up the Gimme Lean in the pot and cook until browned. Add onions, carrots and garlic and cook until pretty soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if desired. The grounds will stick to the bottom a bit so keep scraping with a good spatula. When you add the liquid it should all come up pretty easily. When veggies are cooked, add the veg. broth and 2 cups of water or all 6 cups of water and the tomatoes. At this point you can cover and leave it on a simmer for a while until you are ready eat. If you don't have much time/are starving, cover and bring to a boil. Add your lasagna pieces and cook until al dente. Season again with salt and pepper to taste. I also like to add a nice dusting of dried Italian herbs. Serve in large soup bowls and sprinkle with Daiya mozzarella if desired. 

Note: I use the Gimme Lean basically out of convenience. It's easy and predictable and cooks up pretty well. I'm sure crumbled seitan, tofu or tempeh would make fine substitutions if you don't like the fake meat stuff.