Non-vegetarians raved over this totally meat-free lasagne with lower fat cheeses...
originally posted as 'I can't believe it's not beef' Lasagne
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Vegetarian Lasagne (half recipe)
'Restaurant quality; as good as any I have tasted!' 'Yum!''Tastes like meat.'
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Nearly everyone this year will be looking for main courses that will leave neither meat & fish eaters nor vegetarians/vegans feeing deprived. Throw in a few cholesterol-phobes and life in the kitchen will get pretty complicated.
Here's a beautiful solution. A rich meat-free lasagna with the textures and flavours of beef. The cheeses -- lower-fat but still creamy, or plant cheese for die-hard vegans - replace the usual artery clogging choices.
Reader, it is sensational!
The lasagne, inspired by Gino D'Acampo, is beautifully textured and gorgeously flavoured, with melting layers of cheesy richness. And it is so difficult to tell it isn't meat.
Cholesterol and calorie counts shrink with make-it-yourself tofu mince, cottage cheese & reduced fat cheddar. Even so, this is not one of 67's 'skinny' dishes. It does, however, mitigate the worst of the usual damage.
The initial outlay for the lasagna seems high but, per serving, works out at less than a pound. Replacing the cheeses with a béchamel sauce - made from dairy or plant milk - cuts costs sharply.
There are a few steps but 67 has simplified them and spread them over 2 days. The results are more than worth it.
Note: unless you have extra-firm tofu, firm tofu must be frozen and defrosted before you start
Cost: £7'ish
Feeds: 10-16, but recipe halves nicely
Ingredients:
12-15 lasagna leaves, depending on your baking dish
'Meat' Sauce
450gm/15.8oz firm tofu (pref organic) that has been frozen & defrosted
3 tbsp olive oil
1 good-sized onion +
1 med carrot +
1 large celery stick, all coarsely processed
1 large clove garlic, grated
1-2 glasses red wine/grape juice
400 gm tin good Italian chopped tomatoes incl juice +
400gm fresh tomatoes, cored and coarsely processed
OR 2x400gm tins tomatoes
6-10 (yes,6-10) tbsp tomato puree, low salt if poss
10-20 basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
pinch salt & pepper
generous pinch thyme
generous pinch oregano
2/3 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (opt but adds a bit of zip)
50gm mushrooms in large dice (opt)
75gm courgettes, quartered vertically and in 1/8in/1/4cm slices (opt)
4 tbsp chopped parsley
8-12 dashes Worcestershire sauce (opt)
450gm/16oz onion & chive (or plain) cottage cheese, drained (or vegan opt)
100-150gm/3.5-5.2oz goat's cheese (or vegan option)
zest of lemon (opt)
80gm/2.8oz reduced-fat cheddar, grated (or if pockets are deep, parmesan) OR plant cheese
The following steps can be completed the night before
