Vegetable Lasagna with Minced Soy Meat
22. February, 2009
Please do not make this recipe if you have Italian in-laws...Although I absolutely love this lasagna and so does my husband, I am not sure it would be appreciated by those who are used to authentic lasagna with the white sauce, the fried meat and the whole thing. This is a low fat version but eating healthily is more important than impressing other people (and I don't have Italian in-laws)...Just keep in mind that I come from a country that considered dry pasta to be an exotice and strange ingredient until maybe the year 1990...so here goes.
Note that you will need a deep ovenproof dish measuring 23 x 23 centimetres (about 9 x 9 inches). Also note that the soy meat will need to soak for at least one hour.
Not exactly like the Italian do it but I still love this lasagna
This recipe is:
- Nut free
Vegetable Lasagna with Minced Soy Meat
Serves 5-6
Ingredients
- 130 grams (4½ oz) non GMO minced soy meat
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or use parsley, thyme and basil)
- 1 yeast free vegetable stock cube
- 500 grams (17½ oz) spelt lasagna sheets (fresh or dried)
- 150 grams (5¼ oz) mushrooms (such as button mushrooms), sliced thinly
- 250 grams (8¾ oz) frozen spinach (thawed and water squeezed out)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parmesan, grated
- 400 grams (14 oz) low fat cheese (such as low fat mozzarella or Gouda), grated
- 500 millilitres (17 fluid oz) organic, good quality pasta sauce
- 400 grams (14 oz) cottage cheese
- 1-2 teaspoons pepper (black)
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 eggs (use 2 whole eggs and one egg white) (please use free range eggs)
Preparation
- First of all, place the 130 grams soy meat in a large bowl, cover the soy meat with boiling hot water and leave some extra water as the soy meat will absorb the liquid. Give the mixture a good stir.
- Add the 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or parsley, thyme and basil) and the vegetable stock cube to the bowl. Allow the soy meat to soak for at least one hour (up to 24 hours is fine).
- If you are using fresh lasagna plates there is no need to boil them. If you are used dried lasagna sheets, gently boil the 500 grams sheets for 3 minutes, drain and place under running, cold water for 10 seconds. Drain again and set aside.
- Slice the 150 grams mushrooms thinly.
- Grate the 400 grams low fat cheese and set aside.
- Thaw the spinach, drain and squeeze out any excess water with your hands.
- Grate the 2 tablespoons fresh parmesan.
For the "Meat Sauce"
- Drain any excess liquid from the soy mince (should not be any).
- Add the 500 millilitres pasta sauce and stir well. Set aside.
For the Cheese Sauce
- Mix together the 2 whole eggs and one egg white in a medium bowl.
- Grate the 400 grams low fat cheese and add half to the bowl.
- Add the 400 grams cottage cheese. Stir well.
Assemble
- You will also need a deep ovenproof dish measuring 23 x 23 centimetres (about 9 x 9 inches).
- Rub a couple of drops coconut oil inside the dish.
- Place the "Meat Sauce" and Cheese Sauce, the sliced mushrooms and thawed spinach within easy reach.
- Spread a quarter of the sauce into the bottom of the dish and and then arrange, on top of that, a third of the spinach and a third of the cheese sauce.
- Place sheets of pasta on top of this – you may need to cut some of them in smaller pieces to make them fit.
- Now repeat the whole process ("Meat Sauce", spinach, cheese sauce and pasta sheets).
- Repeat the process again, finish with a layer of pasta sheets and the rest of the cheese sauce.
- Add the 2 tablespoons grated mozzarella and season with 1-2 teaspoons black pepper and 1 teaspoon nutmeg.
- Place in the oven and bake at 200 degrees Celsius/400 Fahrenheit/Gas Mark 6, for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool down for 15 minutes (for easier slicing).
Tips
- If the coconut oil is cold (in which case it becomes solid), place the jar in a bowl filled with hot water for a couple of minutes.
- You can use regular stock cubes instead of yeast free ones.
- You can use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock.
- The lasagna can be frozen and reheated later.
- You can use wholewheat lasagna sheets instead of the spelt sheets.
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