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Dec 16, 2010 at 06:27PM vs May 03, 2012 at 12:42AM
Talia's Vegetarian Lasagna
casseroles cheese dinner italian pasta vegetables vegetarianYura
This is a variant on [Tom's Vegetarian Lasagna](/recipe/318). This recipe is slightly faster than Tom's, as I eat little if any tofu. That inceudls the fake meats that many love to have as a main staple to their diet that is soy based.I eat pretty much what I have always eaten, but make it without the meat. Sounds difficult? It isn've cut some intermediary steps. It still takes quite a while, but it would be about the same as Mom's [classic lasagna](/recipe/200) or [my meatier version](/recipe/293). The result is creamier than your classic lasagna - it's basically a cornucopia of vegetables smothered in cheese. Serves 6. # Filling Filling will vary by season. The following are suggested filling ingredients, divided into groups based on what preparation is required. It’s good to have some of the the quicker items, like artichoke hearts, in reserve in case you need to top up. # Boil: - 1 or 2 yams or sweet potatoes, cut into chunks - Asparagus, 1 bunch, cut in thirds or halves First, put a pot on to boil, and boil the yam. It will take about 10 minutes, depending on the size on your chunks. Once done, remove and set aside. You can reuse the same water if you like for the asparagus - it will take just a few minutes. At this point, you might want to put on some more water to boil for the lasagna noodles. # Fry: - Onion, 1 large, diced - 4 garlic cloves, diced - Cherry Tomatoes, 12 - Mushrooms, 1/2 lb - Bell Peppers, 2, cut in chunks - eggplant, 1, cut into strips - zucchini would also be good here - 12 oz can crushed tomatoes While your yams are boiling, fry up your onion in some olive oil. When slightly translucent, add garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. When all the veggies are cooked through, add your tomato sauce and cook a few minutes. # Extras: - Pine Nuts, 1/2 cup - Artichoke Hearts, 1 small jar - Kalamata Olives, 1/2 a jar or can - Dried mushrooms, a handful or two - optional: jar of sundried tomatoes Spices: - Fresh Basil, 2 stalks, or 1 tsp. dried basil - salt and pepper to taste - Optional: dash of cayenne, thyme, tarragon Dump all the above into your fry pan. Add your boiled items, and cook until everything is warmed up. This completes the filling. Set it aside. # Sauce - 1/4 c. butter - 1/4 c. flour - 2 c. milk - 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan - lemon juice and sugar to taste Melt butter in small saucepan. On low heat, add flour and mix until blended and smooth. Check that the pan is on LOW and add milk gradually, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a simmer, still stirring constantly, until sauce is smooth and thickened. Add cheese and lemon juice/sugar and stir until all melted. # Construction phase - 12 Lasagna noodles, boiled - 400 g soft cheese (like a Havarti or Mozzarella), grated - baby spinach leaves, washed - optional: crumbled goat cheese Layer your lasagna: - 1/3 of the filling - layer of spinach leaves - 1/2 the sauce - 1/2 the noodles - 1/3 of the filling - layer of spinach leaves - last 1/2 of the sauce - last 1/2 of the noodles - last 1/3 of the filling - optional extra layer of spinach - and finally, your grated cheese, or goat cheese if you have some on hand Cook in the oven for 45 minutes at 350. Helpful tip: if your lasagna noodles are done before the rest is ready, make sure to add a splash of olive oil so they don't.Something sticklike togethera stuffed bell pepper is usually stuffed with meat. I instead go for rice and veggies with a tomato base sauce over it.Soups are no problem. Vegetable soups are easy. Go just with the veggies or add grains such as barley to them to add more nutritional value to them. There are also tomato based soups.A baked potato is not just a side dish. You can add all sorts of things on top of it. Broccoli, sauteed veggies of all sorts bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, onions, cilantro, parsley only limited by your imagination or personal tastes. You can even bake them ahead of time which saves on wasted energy and have them ready for you when you get home from work or school to be warmed up.I even have a traditional Italian sauce that is carrot based for pasta dishes. Vareity is not a problem.Kabobs that have veggies, mushrooms that you like on them a total treat that I have never had any to refuse.Mushrooms are fabulous, the variety is more than many people know. Stuff them, broil them, add them to other things. With the things that they have found out recently about capers, you might want to think about adding them to your salad or other dishes.Cold salads with pasta, grains, or just the veggies another wonderful experience for the palate.The things that you can do with a rice dish again only limited by your personal taste. You can go from main dish to dessert with this versitile grain.Baked apples, fruit salads, or just plain fruit a healthy addition to a balanced diet.Whole grain breads of different variety of grains is something else that I would suggest. Pumpernickle, rye, sour dough are great. Something as simple as switching over to a pita bread can bring variety to something that you may not have considered.You can juice, you can make fruit smoothies for quick fixes and treats. My suggestion is always for people to go with what they eat now and see how they can adapt and adjust what they already know and like to fit within a healthy diet. Reason that I suggest this is because you already have most if not all of what you need on hand and the outlay of money is not going to be a big bite out of the budget.If such is more than you can handle, or you just are not convident enough to do such I strongly suggest talking to a good dietician/nutritionist and getting their helpful insights. They not only will help you to know if what you are eating is meeting all your dietary needs, they can help you with formating a grocery list to make sure that you get all the things that you will need to have a healthy diet.Last but not least know that spices are your best friend. Learning about them and how to best use them in cooking is something that is going to make what you eat either something that you really enjoy or something that you just do and make do with. When you get comfortable, start trying new things. Add to what you already know. I suggest going to the library and getting cookbooks to see if the cookbook is something that you want to invest your hard earned money in buying. If it is filled with ingredients that are hard to find, foods that you really are not suited to your personal taste matters not if everyone else loves it.There are websites but I have found that many of the sites will rave about some dish that many times comes from an ethnic taste that you might not be familiar with and ingredients that are not easy to find. So make sure when searching such sites on the web that they are things that you can find easy or at least order.Again, can't say it enough. At first, I would suggest going with what you know. Helps to keep the budget down. Add the ingredients that you think that you might need as you need them easier than a massive outlay of monies on things all at once.