Thursday, July 19, 2012

Easy and Delicious Lasagna (dairy free, gluten free, vegan)

This lasagna recipe came about after making Kelly's lasagna many, many times.  I love her recipe, but wanted a vegan version.  Cashews are the answer!  I love cashews, they are a dairy-free girl's best friend.  They really mimic the flavor and texture of cheese.  I'm excited to share this recipe with you because it's honestly super delicious.  My husband LOVES this lasagna.  And it takes no longer to make than traditional.  The most annoying part for me though is the noodles.  They take so long to boil and I only do a few at a time. I've tried using those no-bake noodles, but I don't recommend them. But other than that, everything comes to together nice and quick.   And the key to any lasagna (as you might know) is allowing it enough time to cool before serving.  The lasagna you see here was cooling for at least an hour.  I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as we do. 

Ingredients:
-Gluten Free Brown Rice Lasagna Noodles.  I use about 12 total noodles.  (I think this brand is the best).
-1 batch cashew cheese filling (recipe here).
-Homemade marinara sauce (recipe here).  You could also use store bought marinara, just try and find low sodium
-Optional (Daiya shredded "cheese" on top for presentation) 

How To:
Preheat over to 375
1.  You honestly make this lasagna like any other regular lasagna.
2.  Make the marinara sauce.
3.  Make the cheese filling.
4.  I use a 15x10x2 inch Pyrex baking dish.  I start with some sauce and cheese on the bottom of the dish, then start layering noodles, cheese, sauce, noodles, cheese, sauce, etc.  I just swirl the cheese and sauce together in each layer, you want nice thick coating so the noodles don't get dried out.  The cashew cheese will thicken quite a bit while baking and will "puff" up.    
5.  You can finish the layers by adding some dairy free cheese shreds on top, but this is totally optional.  
6.  Bake covered (I don't use foil in my kitchen, so I use a stainless steel cookie sheet to cover) and bake for 45 minutes. 
7.  Allow at least 30 minutes to cool. 
You can see here how well this stays together. 
Delish.  
Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Keep It Simple Mondays, Monday Mania, Mealtime Monday My Meatless Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays,Gluten Free Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays,  Keep It Real Thursdays, Full Plate Thursday, Tastetastic Thursday, Fresh Bites Friday, Fight Back Friday, Friday Food, Show Off Friday, Freaky Friday, Whole Foods Friday

20 comments:

  1. glutenfreehappytummy.comJuly 20, 2012 at 10:08 AM

    oh boy - this is delicious! Your photos could seriously go on the cover of gourmet magazine! I MUST try this cashew cheese recipe -- sounds like a weekend experiment!! :) Have a fantastic weekend! Hugs!

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    • Thanks Caralyn! I make this dish for my sweet son (who is on an allergy-free diet). He loves it just as much as my daughter and husband. It really does taste like the real thing. So awesome. :-)

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  2. Mom on the MakeJuly 20, 2012 at 10:11 AM

    Wow, I'm so glad I found your blog through the Show Off Friday blog hop. I just read your bio and am so impressed with your persistence and research into finding the best way to heal.

    I have recently been trying to incorporate at least one raw food meal a day into our daily routine. Last week, I made a cinnamon banana shake and a carrot ginger soup. I'm finding that there are so many delicious raw recipes and I always feel better after those meals as opposed to gluten and meat meals.

    I still have a problem with sugar. I eat way too much of it. So, I will be very interested in your sugar free recipes. Sugar, I believe, is almost solely responsible for my feeling tired and run down. My sister keeps suggesting that I read Sugar Blues.

    Thank you for such a wonderful website. I will definitely be trying some of your recipes!

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    • Hello Mom on the Make,

      Your comment just made my night. Thank you so much for stopping by! So glad to meet you. :-)

      Sugar is a tough one. My husband struggles with sugar cravings (so even in our sugar-free home, he has a hard time with his sweet tooth). He just craves something sweet (like always). I don't have this problem (perhaps due to my years of eating an anti-candida diet). But really, I just never had much of a sweet tooth. But I see how difficult it is for him.

      Your shake and soup sound just lovely. And I can't agree more, I too always feel awesome after raw foods (if they aren't too hard to digest). :-)

      I'm having a stevia giveaway at the end of the week, so keep your eye out for that. Stevia is a great way to get the sweet without sacrificing health.

      Good luck to you and keep me posted on your progress (especially with the sugar).

      Be Well,
      -Amber

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  3. Lauren @ Empowered SustenanceJuly 20, 2012 at 11:51 AM

    This looks amazing! The cashew cheese is brilliant and I am surprised at how well it firms up. I want to try your lasagna version with summer squash instead of the noodles! Tinkyada noodles were my favorite treat before I started SCD. They really do have a sturdy, non-mushy texture.

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  4. France@beyondthepeelJuly 20, 2012 at 1:11 PM

    Cashews are indeed a dairy free girls best friend! So true. This looks gorgeous and perfect comfort food with none of the guilt!

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  5. You really should be in a professional magazine dear! We have an Open House tomorrow but when Sunday rolls around and my house doesn't have to be spotless...I cannot wait to make this lasagna! I am so excited about this recipe, I am drooling. Thank you my lovely friend!

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    • You're too sweet my friend. Thank you. I have a great camera - I have no idea what I'm doing though. I just point and click and hope it's not blurry. :-)

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  6. Nicole@Show Off FridayJuly 21, 2012 at 9:43 PM

    Thank you for linking up this great recipe! You are very inspiring!

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  7. Erin @SalmonAtSevenJuly 22, 2012 at 10:58 PM

    This looks awesome. I love playing with vegan and gluten-free recipes...my next endeavor will be a vegan turtle cheesecake... I can't wait! I'm not vegan or vegetarian, but I love trying out meatless recipes. xoxo Hopping over from Melt in Your Mouth Mondays - hope you'll stop by Salmon At Seven.

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    • Thanks Erin. I agree, it's so fun to find alternatives. Can't wait to check out your blog. :-)

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  8. I made this last night - soooo delicious!!! I added sauteed chopped mushrooms because I had some to use up. Next time I might throw in some spinach. Thank you for a great recipe! It felt so good to be eating (decent) lasagna again!

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    • Hi Andrea,

      Thanks so much for sharing. I appreciate your feedback.

      I've also made it with mushrooms, although I sauteed them first with onions. It adds a great flavor and "meatiness" to the dish. This lasagna is one of my husband's favorite meals. I'm so glad you enjoyed it too! It is a great alternative to the traditional version. :-)

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  9. Yum! I'm sharing this with my friend. Thanks!

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  10. Hope you are having a great weekend and thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

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  11. It may just be my lack of cooking experience, but doesn't letting it cool for an hour mean you're eating cold lasagna?

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    • Hi Erin,

      No, it definitely won't be cold! Lasagna comes out scalding hot and letting it cool is very important. It also helps set up. But, if you like really hot lasagna, then just eat it sooner. It takes a while for to get cool...hours to get cold. :-)

      Hope this helps.

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