Chef AJ's Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna with Cook's Notes

 

Chef AJ's  Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna

2 boxes of no boil rice lasagna noodles (I used 1 box of regular-not "no-boil" Tikyada Brown Rice Lasagna noodles--9 noodles to the package & I cooked them according to the directions--4 minutes less than usual.  Great taste!)  (Wendy from Healthy Girl's Kitchen  used 1 box of whole wheat from Whole Foods and followed the directions on the box, boiling them for 4 minutes and then rinsing each noodle well in cold water)

 

6 cups oil-free marinara sauce  (I used Walnut Acres Low Sodium Fat Free Tomato & Basil sauce)

 

 

Filling No. 1:

1 box extra firm tofu, drained and wrapped in paper towel to remove excess moisture OR 2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed  (I used 1 pound of NaSoya low-fat firm tofu--my favorite)

2 oz. fresh basil leaves

1 cup  raw cashews or hemp seeds  (I used 1 cup of raw cashews--next time I'm cutting this in half!)

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup low-sodium miso (I used regular miso)

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

2 pounds frozen chopped spinach or 1 pound frozen chopped kale  (I thawed 2 pounds of frozen spinach, drained it, and squeezed out the excess liquid)

 

Filling No. 2:

2 pounds sliced mushrooms

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup tamari  (check labels if making gluten-free)

1 large red onion  (I used 1 large sweet onion)

 

4 oz can sliced olives, rinsed and drained (optional)  (I left this out)

Faux Parmesan:

This is a fabulous topping for the lasagna.  In the interest of cutting down on cashews, next time I'm cutting down the cashews to 1/2 cup, and cutting the yeast to 1/4 cup, and the salt-free seasoning to 1 1/2 tsp.

In a food processor, grind 1 cup (or 1/2 cup) raw cashews or almonds, 1/2 cup  (or 1/4 cup) nutritional yeast and 1 Tbsp (or 1 1/2 tsp) of salt-free seasoning, until a powdery mixture is achieved. If you like it more chunky, process less.

Instructions:

Make the filling in a food processor fitted with the "S" blade, by adding tofu, basil, garlic, lemon juice, miso, nutritional yeast, nuts and red pepper flakes. Puree until smooth. Add drained spinach or kale and process again.

In a large non-stick saute pan, saute chopped onion in 2 Tbsp water or broth until translucent, about 8 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Add garlic, mushrooms and tamari and saute until browned. Taste mixture, adding more garlic/tamari according to your taste. Cook until mushrooms appear to be glazed and there is no more liquid left in pan.  This can take awhile if the mushrooms release a lot of liquid.  Be patient--you want all the liquid to evaporate.

Pour 3 cups of the sauce in a 9"x13" lasagna pan. REALLY--this is how to do it! Place one layer of noodles on top. Cover noodles with half of tofu/spinach mix, then with half of mushroom mix. Place another layer of noodles on top and add remaining halves of tofu and mush. Place one more layer of noodles on top and smother evenly with remaining sauce. Sprinkle optional olives on top of sauce and sprinkle with faux parmesan.

Bake uncovered 375 degrees for one hour. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Cook's Notes:

1. As crazy is it sounds, you really follow the directions exactly--pouring 3 cups of the sauce on the bottom of the lasagna pan, followed by one layer of noodles.

2.  The mushrooms will release a lot of liquid and you really need to cook them until all the liquid evaporates.

3.  I did not use olives in my recipe, nor did I add Wendy's zucchini variation.

4.  Don't try this without a food processor!

5.  If you cut the cashews down to 1 cup--make this change for the Faux Parmesan topping: 1/2 cup cashews, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 1 1/2 tsp. salt-free seasoning.

 

Nutritional Information based on 12 Servings

Yes, this recipe is high in fat--mostly from the cashews--28% of calories--Limit this one to company special occasion fare & consider cutting the cashews in half!

Nutrition Facts Chef AJs-Gluten-Free Disappearing Spinach Mushroom Lasagna
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	352
Total Fat	10.8g
Saturated Fat	2.2g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	353mg
Carbohydrate	47.2g
Dietary Fiber	5.7g
Sugars	12.6g
Protein	18.7g
Vitamin A 70% Vitamin C 26% Calcium    18% Iron 24%

 

Nutritional Info for Chef AJ's Lighter Version of Lasagna--made with 1 cup of cashews

Based on 12 servings

Nutrition Facts Chef AJs-Gluten-Free Disappearing Spinach Mushroom Lasagna
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	286
Total Fat	6.3g
Saturated Fat	1.1g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	350mg
Carbohydrate	43g
Dietary Fiber	4.8g
Sugars	12g
Protein	15.6g
Vitamin A 70% Vitamin C 26% Calcium    17% Iron 21%