RACHEL’S RECIPE FOR MAY IS A VEGAN LASAGNE WHICH SHOULD APPEAL TO EVERYONE – NOT ONLY THOSE FOLLOWING A PLANT-BASED DIET
- 2 cups of walnuts
- 1 punnet of mushrooms
- 1 large white onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- Around 20 cherry tomatoes – halved
- 200g chopped tomatoes
- 1tbsp tomato purée
- Around 150g spinach
- Big handful of fresh basil
- 2tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (health shop or vegan shop – you can also buy online – they are amazing and make vegan food cheesy)
- 2 tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Around 2 tsp boullion stock powder
For the Béchamel sauce
- 3tbsp vegan butter (I use pure spread)
- 3tsp flour
- Plant milk (enough to make a creamy sauce – add slowly)
- Salt/ pepper
- 3-4 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- Some grated vegan cheese to top
Lasagne sheets – I used gluten free for this recipe
METHOD
- Zap walnuts in food processor for a few second.
- Add the mushrooms and zap again (not too much).
- Add salt / pepper / paprika / and any herbs you fancy and stir.
- Heat a few tbsp oil in a large pan and add the onions – cook for a few minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.
- Add mushrooms and walnut mince and cook for a further 5 mins on a medium heat.
- Stir in the fresh tomatoes and the carton tomatoes plus 1 tsp of tomato purée.
- Pour in a little water and cook for about 10-15 mins.
- Blanch the spinach and add in with fresh basil. Spoon in the nutritional yeast flakes and keep stirring slowly.
- Melt the vegan butter.
- Stir in the flour to make a roux.
- Using a whisk pour in the plant milk slowly over a medium heat – keep stirring all of the time – it should be smooth and glossy.
- Add the seasoning and nutritional yeast flakes.
Layer up in a lasagne dish:-
- Begin with a small amount of the walnut and mushroom base first then lasagne sheets followed by more of the mix. Add a layer of béchamel then more lasagne sheets repeating the layers to finish with a thick layer of béchamel sauce.
- Grate some vegan cheese on top and bake for about 20-25 mins at 200c.
- Serve with a crisp green salad and a glass of red wine.