Did you visit with me at the “Got Green” Cooking Class at The San Diego Botanic Gardens Saturday?
Well, if ya did, you have arrived at my blog, as promised. If you didn’t, you don’t have to miss it. Here’s some of what we talked about and a good recipe for Gluten Free Vegan Lasagna.
I thank you for supporting The Gardens as well as this event!
There are many things I shared including Chef’s Tips for making a great Lasagna.
In Part 2 (tomorrow) I will remind you about the things we discussed in class that I promised to blog about, to avoid you having to take notes.
Today, I will give you and everyone else reading this, one tip about making squash or pumpkin puree with a nice topping that keeps you plant based.
Regular marshmallows are made from Gelatin (the finger nails of chickens). Dandies marshmallows are Vegan. No chicken and delicious! Melts like the real deal!
We started the class by talking about The Clean 15 and The Dirty Dozen. These are fruits and veggies affected by pesticides showing you what you really need to spend the money on, and buy organic and what you can wash off and get by with.
How to make a Vegan, Gluten Free Lasagna
Now anyone can make a lasagna. You spray the baking dish with grapeseed oil, add tomato sauce to cover the bottom, then add a layer of pasta (all left to right), some protein with cheese, another layer of pasta (going bottom to top, a different direction than the bottom layer, which holds the lasagna together better), add more cheese and veggies, and then the third layer is usually pasta covered by sauce and cheese.
People usually mix up the layers, to add what they want where they like it.
Here’s the difference between Gluten Free Vegan and Regular Lasagna:
Use Brown Rice Lasagna Noodles
- If you want the best result, use Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta. Unlike regular pasta, keep it wet – keep each piece separated. I like to hand pull apart each piece then water it, to be sure.
- Put down your first layer of pasta.
- We took time to thinly cut, salt, cover with paper towels to release any bitterness. You can do this without paper towels but after you drain the liquid that comes out, you will need to pat them dry.
- Add a layer of Eggplant lightly sautéd (browned) after dusting in Almond Flour, and dotted the tray with Follow Your Heart Provolone. It melts great and gives you a ‘cheese in your mouth’ taste).
- Pick whole canned tomatoes (from Italy if you can get it), tearing them apart with your hands and evenly sprinkling over the tray and then add sauce where you need it. I took fresh Oregano and dotted the layer as well.
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Eggplant Layer Then, if you want to boost the flavor and nutrition, crumble Veggie Bites (from the freezer section at Costco), to give it a meatier feel.
- Add your last layer of pasta, more whole tomatoes, sauce where you need it. I did a chiffonade of Basil (rolling the leaves up together than thinly cutting strips) and again dotted more vegan cheese – This time, Kite Hill Chive Spread.
- Then I added a caramelized (cooked till brown) mixture of onions, mushrooms, garlic and tiny pieces of thin Asparagus, to add both flavor and nutrition, on top.
You can absolutely add some crumbled ‘Beyond Beef’ if you’re looking for a Meat Lasagna Flavor Profile.
It’s amazing that less is more when it comes to Vegan Cheese. Just dotting the Kite Hill Chive Spread (created from nuts) on one of the layers will really bump up the flavor!
Tomorrow, we’ve got more Chef Tips and Tips from Nutritionist Johnna Dietz!
And just a quick reminder: True Foods at The UTC Mall has a menu that includes a ton of Vegan options! The Chef Marian Restaurant Review next week highlights their value!
Healthy Happy Eating,
