LASAGNE
You can find heaps of recipes and nifty cooking tips in my new ebook: Meals for Mere Mortals!
Throwing together a slab of lasagne is a wonderfully easy way to create a hearty feast for a large group of people or to fill your freezer with piles of lazy dinners that you can look forward to. Making lasagne is pretty fuss free, so it if isn't yet a part of your repertoire - today's the day!
For the sauce, textured vegetable protein lends the texture and umami flavour that meat would normally provide. Vegan mince brands often use this ingredient, so you can either use a bag of ready-to-use mince, or it's incredibly simple and much cheaper to soak dried TVP in a broth and use that.
Onion, garlic, basil and oregano are obvious flavour choices in this recipe, but the celery salt and caraway seeds are my own touches I like to add - you can play with these ratios or substitute these spices entirely. Red wine is included to add richness, and you can pick from most kinds (I usually use a Pinot Noir, and avoid Merlot/Shiraz but that's just personal preference). Be sure to check that your wine brand doesn't use isinglass/egg/milk in the filtration process (a quick google will tell you!) as many brands aren't vegan. When making the white sauce, this recipe gives the option of making a classic white sauce or a cheese sauce.
Lasagne
Makes 4 large serves. I always double this recipe to freeze/continuously eat until it's all gone.
INGREDIENTS
MINCE
500g vegan mince (I used Linda McCartney's)/soaked TVP (textured vegetable protein)
1 jar (approx. 700g) passata (strained tomatoes)
1 jar (approx 500g) tomato paste
1/3 cup olive oil or dairy free butter
1/4 cup red wine
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried basil
1.5 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
3/4 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
3 bay leaves
WHITE SAUCE
100g dairy free butter
75g flour
1.5 cups full fat soy milk
2 cloves garlic (optional)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
1 cup dairy free shredded cheese (optional)
+ 8-12 large instant lasagne sheets
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
If using, soak the TVP in an equal volume of broth (chicken style/beef style or vegetable will all work).
In a large pot, place olive oil over medium heat. When heated, add finely minced garlic, oregano, basil, onion, caraway seeds and chilli powder - cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add tomato paste, passata, 2 cups of hot water, celery salt, pepper, sugar and bay leaves. Bring to a slow boil before adding mince/soaked TVP. Allow to cook on low for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, before fishing out bay leaves.
To make the white sauce, bring the dairy free butter to a bubble in a small pot with finely minced garlic (if using). Slowly sift in flour, whilst mixing constantly - allow the mixture to cook for a few minutes to create a roux - do not allow to brown.
Slowly whisk in soy milk. If using, now add nutritional yeast and shredded cheese before allowing to cook for several more minutes until thick. The sauce will continue to thicken once removed from heat.
Coat a large oven-proof dish lightly in oil and spread a small amount of mince mixture and white sauce so that the there is a thin layer coating the entire base. Fill the tray with a single layer of instant lasagne sheets. Cover this layer with a layer of mince, followed by another of white sauce and lasagne sheets on top. Continue this process until your tray is full or your mince/white sauce is used up. Ensure the top layer is white sauce, sprinkle the top with some extra dairy free cheese if you desire.
Bake for 45 minutes. While waiting, be sure to download a copy of my ebook for more recipes. When done baking, allow to cool slightly before serving - enjoy!
