Pasta with Chorizo and Sweet Potato Sauce

This was another recipe inspired from Deceptively Delicious, which I renamed, veganized, changed ingredients up, the usual.  Still, the idea behind the original recipe was good: pureeing sweet potatoes for the sauce to get the kiddos to each more veggies. This also has chopped up celery and carrots, as well, so it's nice and healthy. This came out tasty, and the fam liked it, so all is good.  I puree my veggies ahead of time, bag and freeze them, and then thaw them out for recipes.  So, my sweet potatoes were already boiled, peeled and pureed for this recipe. This makes a lot of sauce, plenty for leftovers. Give this one a go, and let me know how it works for you.

Pasta with Chorizo and Sweet Potato Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta (we used penne)
2 Tbs. olive oil
4 onions, chopped small
4 cloves garlic, minced
12 carrots, chopped small
4 stalks celery, chopped small
2 - 10 oz. pkgs. soy chorizo
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
4 - 29 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 - 14.5 oz. can Del Monte petite cut tomatoes with chipotle chilies
1 - 32 oz. box Imagine No-Chicken Broth
1 Tbs. vegan sugar
2 cups prepared sweet potato puree (boiled first)

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to package directions midway through making the sauce.  For the sauce, heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  When oil is hot, add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery, and cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the chorizo and salt and pepper, and cook for another five minutes.  Add the tomatoes, broth and sugar.  Lower heat to medium low and cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add in the sweet potato puree, and stir well.  Continue to cook until heated through, about ten minutes.  Serve over pasta.  This makes a bunch!  I froze about half the sauce for a later meal.  Feeds five hungry vegans and then some.  Very good.

Pasta with Artichokes and Broccoli

This is a quick, easy and delicious dinner I made the other night.  G usually just gulps down what I make with nary a comment, unless he really doesn't like or really does like something.  This one earned a comment for the latter, so I knew it had to be blog-worthy.  The ingredients are few, and the simple seasonings brought out their wonderful tastes.  Hopefully, you'll enjoy it, too.  What is your favorite thing to toss in a pasta sauce?

Pasta with Artichokes and Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 pound of thin spaghetti
1 Tbs. of olive oil
2 cups of broccoli florets, coarsely chopped small
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced thin diagonally
2 - 14.5 oz cans of Del Monte diced tomatoes with rosemary and oregano
1 and 1/2 cups of marinated artichoke hearts, sliced in half lengthwise
1 Tbs. sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the broccoli and carrots and cook for five minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the tomatoes and artichoke hearts and cook for another three minutes, until heated through.  Add the sesame oil and salt and pepper, stir and let simmer on medium low for five minutes.  Top pasta with sauce and enjoy.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Tofu, Brussels Sprouts and Peanut Stir-fry

This is one of those classic, throw-it-together meals, using up leftovers that turns out fantastic enough to become a real recipe worth repeating.  With just a few ingredients, this makes a complete meal for our family.

Tofu, Brussels Sprouts and Peanut Stir-fry

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. canola oil
3 -  12 to 14 oz. pkgs, water-packed tofu, drained and cubed in 1/2 inch squares
2 cups of Brussels sprouts halves
2 cups of kale, chopped
2 cups of cooked or leftover medium pasta - I used bow ties
2 Tbs. sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Heat canola oil over medium high heat in a large pan.  When hot, add the tofu cubes.  Cook for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.  Reduce heat to medium and add the Brussels sprouts.  Cook for another ten minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the kale, pasta, sesame oil and soy sauce.  Stir well and cook for five minutes, until kale is just wilted.  Add the peanuts.  Turn off heat and stir. Serve hot. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Bountiful Pasta Salad with Beans

In our home, pasta salads can be a side dish or, if they're full of enough goodies, be the main dish.  There are two main beans that I think go well in green and pasta salads: garbanzos and kidneys - although any kind of bean can be the basis for a good salad.  Sometimes in my pasta salads, I'll kick up the protein a bit by adding one of these beans.  In this salad, I used garbanzos.  I also love to fill my salads chock full of a variety of crunchy, flavorful ingredients.  This salad is no different.  Don't forget, when you add the raw veggies to hot pasta, they blanch just enough to be tender.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Bountiful Pasta Salad with Beans

Ingredients:

1 lb. small pasta (this time I used two seven oz. bags of small stars)
2 cups broccoli, chopped small
2 green onions, sliced
1 cup red cabbage, chopped small
1 can of quartered artichoke hearts, in water, halved lengthwise
1 15oz. can black whole olives, drained
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
1 cup of  salad dressing - I like to use Italian style for this
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking, prepare your vegetables and beans.  Drain the pasta and put in a large bowl immediately along with the veggies and beans.  Stir well.  Add the dressing and stir again.  Season to taste and stir.  Chill for at least two hours before serving, or if you're in a rush, you can serve this warm.  Be sure to chill in a non-breakable bowl.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Pasta with Sauteed Veggies

Here is another easy way to use up leftover pasta. It works great, as well, if you make pasta fresh and just want to jazz it up.



Pasta with Sauteed Veggies

Ingredients:

About a pound of leftover or freshly cooked pasta - we used linguine
3 cups of your favorite veggies - we used:
2 carrots, cut on the diagonal
2 zucchini, cut on the diagonal
2 bok choy, cut into thirds and sliced thinly
5 garlic cloves, sliced
2 Tbs. canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbs. garlic powder blend or plain garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot or skillet on medium heat. When hot, add veggies and cook until tender, about five minutes. If using long pasta, cut into thirds or quarters. Add your pasta to the veggies, along with the seasonings. Lower heat to medium low and cook for another five minutes or so, until all is heated through. Simple and good. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Leftover Pasta Delight

This was a meal created by the fact that I was tired of having lots of little containers with bits of leftovers in the fridge. There was not enough on their own to make a complete meal for one person, much less for a whole family. So, I just did my "garbage" trick and dumped them all together in a bowl and had myself an incredibly delicious lunch for one: me. But, this was so good and so satisfying that I'm going to attempt to offer portion sizes that will make a meal for a family, namely one that has five members in it. Enjoy.



Leftover Pasta Delight

Ingredients:

At least 3 cups of leftover pasta - I used bowtie
At least one cup of leftover steamed veggies - I used cauliflower, broccoli and carrots
At least one cup of leftover sauteed kale with red onions and garlic
At least one cup of your favorite salsa
1 pkg. of Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet cheese, Mozzarella style, cubed small
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and pour into a casserole dish. You can either reheat this in a microwave for ten to twelve minutes, stirring every few minutes, or reheat in a 350 degree oven for thirty minutes. So good. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Sauteed Pasta with Garlic

This is such a shamefully easy recipe, but it's good and quick on a busy night, so I thought I'd share it. Pair it with some yummy veggies, like roasted asparagus, and you've got yourself a complete meal.



Sauteed Pasta with Garlic

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. vegan margarine
1 head of garlic, cloves, peeled and sliced in rounds
1 lb. cooked and cooled, or leftover, pasta (small or medium sized works best)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat the margarine over medium heat. When almost melted completely, add the garlic. Cook for about thirty seconds, or until the garlic releases its fragrance. (Garlic burns easily, so don't cook too long by itself.) Add the pasta and seasonings and stir well. Cook for five to ten more minutes, until the pasta is heated through. I like a bit of crispiness to some of the pasta edges, so I wait until that happens before I remove from heat. Easy and tasty. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Pasta Salad with Tofu

Here's a very simple dish that I make several times a year that offers just a small twist for fun. I like to see where I can add tofu in dishes for variety and a little extra protein. Tofu works very well in pasta salads and soaks up some of the flavor of the dressing. I also like it here because it shows how my children don't always need to eat their tofu cooked; they actually love it raw and sometimes eat it straight off the cutting board before it goes into the bowl. If you toss the veggies into the bowl with freshly cooked pasta, the heat from the noodles will actually soften the veggies enough to imitate blanching. If you wait until the pasta is cold, I would suggest blanching the firmer veggies before adding to the bowl.



Pasta Salad with Tofu
Ingredients:

1 lb. of medium pasta (I used rigatoni)
1 pkg. of extra-firm tofu, drained and diced small
3 - 4 cups of veggies - we used:
1 tomato, diced
2 cups of broccoli, diced small
1 cup of asparagus, sliced into one inch diagonals
1 cup of your favorite salad dressing
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, prepare your tofu and veggies. Put into a bowl. Drain pasta and add to bowl. Add the salad dressing and salt and pepper and toss well. Chill for at least two hours before eating, although I've eaten warm pasta salad on occasion, and it's tasty as well. Before serving, taste and adjust dressing and salt and pepper, if necessary. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

This is a very easy and quick dish to make, if you have pumpkin on hand. I used four of my bags of pumpkin puree and came up with a new twist on pasta sauce. I also put soft silken tofu in to add a creamy texture: I mashed mine this time, but I think blending in a food processor would be a great idea. It warmed our tummies and was fun to try something a little different. I hope you give it a shot.

Also, be sure to swing by Millie's blog to check out my recipe for Pecan Pie Cookie Cups for her Holiday Cookie Extravaganza. She invited me to contribute, and I was more than happy to oblige. My recipe will appear on her blog on December 7th, and I'll post it on mine some time after.



Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce
Ingredients:

1 lb. pkg. whole wheat spaghetti
1 cup silken soft tofu, mashed by hand or blended in food processor
4 cups pureed pumpkin
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
Optional:
Nutritional yeast flakes
Red pepper flakes

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to package directions. While water for pasta is heating up, combine remaining ingredients, except for the optional ingredients, in a medium pot. Cook over medium heat for ten minutes, then turn down heat to medium low for an additional fifteen minutes. Spoon sauce over pasta and top with nutritional yeast flakes and red pepper flakes, if desired. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Sauteed Elbows with Corn, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Meatballs

This is a fun dish that's an easy way to use up leftover pasta. I know, it's hard to believe that my family has any leftovers, but if I make a big bag of pasta, I can usually get something for lunch or dinner the next day. Anyhow, this dish uses up leftovers and is reminiscent of my Garbage Tofu in that whatever is available in the way of veggies and protein, I'll usually throw in. This combo was especially delicious, so I thought it good enough to be added to my recipes here. This can also be considered an end-of-the-month meal, since that's usually when I'm scrounging around trying to find enough scraps to throw together one last meal before payday. We had this a few days ago right before the green landed in the bank. What do you think of an end-of-the-month meal category? Are there enough budget-minded people out there that they would find this interesting and helpful?




Sauteed Elbows with Corn, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Meatballs
Ingredients:

1 bag of vegan meatballs
1 Tbs. canola oil
1 cup frozen corn
5 cloves of garlic, sliced into rounds
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
1 pound of leftover large elbow macaroni or another small pasta
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bake the meatballs according to package directions. When done, cool enough, so you can cut them in half. Set aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Crunch up the corn with your hand, while it's still in the bag, and add to the oil. Cook for about three minutes or so, then add the garlic. Cook for another three to five minutes, until the corn is warmed through and the garlic is fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients, including the meatballs. Turn the heat down to medium low, and cook for ten minutes, until heated through. Stir occasionally. Delicious and simple. Serves five hungry vegans.

Seitan Pasta Sauce Over Angel Hair

Here is a very hearty pasta sauce that goes a long way. I used homemade seitan, but feel free to use your favorite store bought brand. If you've never added fennel seed to one of your pasta sauces, I highly recommend it. The heavy sauce is balanced out by the light angel hair pasta. I served it alongside my Summertime Corn Salad for another light addition.




Seitan Pasta Sauce Over Angel Hair
Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
3 and 1/2 cups of seitan, chopped small
1 green bell pepper, chopped small
4 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 - 29 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 - 28 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 - 4.25 oz. can chopped olives
1 - 7 oz can diced mild green chiles
1 and 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 lb. pound angel hair pasta

Directions:

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the seitan, green bell pepper and mushrooms. Saute for several minutes until the bell pepper softens and the mushrooms release their liquid. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the noodles, and turn the heat down to medium low. Cook for at least another two hours, stirring occasionally. A few minutes before the sauce is ready, prepare the pasta according to package directions. Serve the sauce over the pasta. I recommend a light pasta and a light side dish to offset the heartiness of the sauce. Makes a big pot of sauce, definitely enough to feed five hungry vegans!

Rigatoni with Fresh and Light Pasta Sauce

This is a great sauce on a hot summer day when you don't want something heavy, but you still want a lot of flavor. As you can see by the picture below, my ratio of sauce to pasta is about 2:1. I could really eat most sauce as a meal by itself, I think. There is proof of a noodle, however, down at the bottom of the bowl under the broccoli. Hope you enjoy this dish!




Rigatoni with Fresh and Light Pasta Sauce
Ingredients:

1 lb. bag of rigatoni
1 Tbs. canola oil
2 pkgs. Morning Star Meal Starters Chik'n Strips, halved
3 cups of veggies - we used:
Broccoli spears
Zucchini cut on the diagonal
1 bunch of cilantro leaves, chopped
2 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Chik'n Strips and cook for a few minutes until they begin to brown, about five minutes or so. Add the veggies (broccoli and zucchini) and cook until crisp but fork tender, about eight more minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until heated through, about five more minutes. Serve over the pasta. Simple but good. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Broken-Lasagna Casserole

About a year ago, I was at a discount store when I saw something unique, something I've never seen before in the way of pasta: a bag of purposely broken lasagna noodle pieces! I stared at that, amazed that the simple act of breaking those long noodles into chunks could inspire a new dish spinning through my head. Being strictly a budget-minded girl, though, I couldn't buy them that day - they didn't fit in that day's wad of cash. And then I never bought them, I don't know why. But, oh broken noodles, I've never forgotten you! So, I recently went out and bought a box of lasagna noodles and broke them up all by myself. It was fun being destructive like that. Thus, the Broken-Lasagna Casserole was born. He may not be the most handsome boy in the room, but he is sure is nice and smooth talkin'! See if you don't like him too.

Broken-Lasagna Casserole right out of the oven.

A chunk of him on my plate next to some steamed asparagus.

Broken-Lasagna Casserole

Ingredients:

1 pkg. lasagna noodles, broken in chunks
1 Tbs. canola oil
1 pkg. Smart Ground, original
1 pkg. extra-firm tofu, drained and diced small
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 green bell pepper, diced small
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 - 28oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 - 15oz. can tomato sauce
1 - 4.25 oz. can chopped olives
1 cup of frozen corn
1 - 6oz. can tomato paste
15-20 fresh basil leaves cut into thirds or halves, depending on their size (if extra small, leave whole)
1 - 10oz. pkg. Vegan Gourmet Monterey Jack cheese, finely grated, divided

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the broken noodles according to package directions. In a large pot, heat the oil on medium heat. Saute the Smart Ground and tofu until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the seasonings, bell pepper and garlic and continue cooking for another five minutes, being careful not to burn. You can add a touch more oil or a little water, if the food starts to stick. Add the canned tomato products, olives and corn. Turn heat down to medium low and let simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the fresh basil. Add the noodles to the pot and stir. Set aside one cup of the cheese and thoroughly mix the rest in the pot. Pour the ingredients into a large casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining one cup of cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn broiler on high, and broil for about five minutes to finish melting the cheese. Check to make sure the casserole doesn't burn. This was a fun variation to lasagna or an ordinary pasta dish. Everyone liked it - hope you do too. Feeds five hungry vegans for a couple of days.

Tropical Seitan Pasta Salad

This is truly a family favorite. I made this dish for Christmas, and I wrote at the time that I would post the recipe soon. Well, I just made it again for my sister-in-law's birthday, so I thought I'd post it now. I am planning on playing around with making homemade seitan over the summer break, but for now, I'm very pleased with the brand I use. This has a bit of zingy flavor at first due to the brand of peanut sauce, but it's the best for this dish. I've tried other brands, and they haven't been up to par. I hope your family enjoys this and requests this as much as mine does.

Tropical Seitan Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb. of linguine
2 pkgs. of liquid packed chicken-style seitan made by Westoy
1 Tbs. of canola oil
1 red bell pepper, halved widthwise and julienned
2 papayas
1 bunch of cilantro, leaves coarsely chopped
1 jar of House of Tsang peanut sauce
3 limes

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain. While pasta water is heating, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Drain the liquid from the seitan packages. I reserve the liquid for later uses, such as a base for gravy or stock for soup. Chop the seitan into bite-sized pieces and saute them until brown, about five minutes or so. Meanwhile, while the pasta and seitan are cooking, you can prepare the fruit and veggies, unless you're organized and done this ahead of time. In a large bowl, put the julienned bell pepper and cilantro leaves. A quick way I remove the cilantro leaves from the stems is to hold the entire bunch of stems in one hand, and take a sharp knife and quickly slice down towards the cutting board. I turn the cilantro around to get all sides. If I get small chunks of stem, they get chopped up into the dish as well. To prepare the papaya, slice in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Then cut in several long, narrow wedges. Take your paring knife, and carefully slice the fruit from the peel, then cut in each wedge in half widthwise. Add these to the bowl. When the seitan is cooked, add it to the bowl. Pour the hot noodles in as well, before they have time to stick together while cooling. Gently toss all the goodies together. Pour the entire bottle of peanut sauce over everything, and toss to thoroughly coat. Cut each lime into quarters, and squeeze the juice over the pasta. Mix once again. Can be served at room temperature or chilled; both are delicious. Now you have one of my family's all-time favorite recipes. Treat it with care and love! Feeds at least five hungry vegans.

Pasta with a Kick

This is a simple recipe that I created from what was on hand once, and I've enjoyed making it since then because it's so tasty. You only need three ingredients, so that's even better!



Pasta with a Kick
Ingredients:

1 lb. of your favorite pasta (we used radiatori)
2 cups of fresh pico de gallo (we use the kind with no liquid)
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast flakes

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to package directions, and drain. Pour into a large serving bowl and stir in the pico de gallo and nutritional yeast flakes. Mix thoroughly to coat. This is surprisingly tasty, trust me. You can add more or less flakes to suit your taste. I have found adding that 1/2 cup, though, makes the dish sticky, so I wouldn't recommend going to that amount. Feeds five hungry vegans. Enjoy!

Casarecce Pasta with Tofu Marinara Sauce

Well, today was my birthday, so I thought I'd give you a small snapshot of the day. First of all, my family completely surprised me with a new camera, and these are the very first pictures with it (including some that aren't posted). Anyhow, we went downtown to have a precious photo restored, and while we were there, we went to our favorite Ethiopian restaurant for a birthday lunch. When we came home, we went for a walk, and the family dog joined us as usual. I made a pasta dish for dinner, and my children pitched in to make me a cake. My nine-year old daughter basically made the whole cake with my supervision. She wants you to know that she is the one that wanted a double-layer cake. I picked chocolate with chocolate frosting; I wanted chocolate chips, as well, but we were out. My three-year old son helped big sister by pouring the soy milk into the mixing bowl, and my twelve-year old daughter created a specific design with the candles. I liked the pasta dish, but in the recipe directions I've made some notes as to some possible variations. I hope you like the pictures and the recipe!

Casarecce Pasta with Tofu Marinara Sauce

My birthday Ethiopian lunch (salad is out of frame)

Earl (with the two youngest blessings behind him) on our walk

My birthday cake!

Casarecce Pasta with Tofu Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 pkg. of extra firm tofu, drained
3 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes
1 can of black olives, 1/2 of the olives chopped fine and 1/2 kept whole
1 4oz. can of diced mild green chiles
2 carrots, grated
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. fennel seed
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 pkg. of Casarecce pasta (or other medium pasta)

Directions:

In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until translucent, about ten minutes. Break up the tofu into large squares in the pot, and mash with a potato masher. Cook for another ten minutes, until tofu begins to really blend in with the onion and garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients. When it comes to a boil, lower heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Ladle the sauce out over individual portions. We served this with a big green salad. My children have an aversion to chunky sauces or salsas, so I blended some sauce for them, and it tasted just fine. That actually gave me an idea for a future sauce recipe. I made this particularly mild, so it would be appealing for my children, but you can spice it up if you wish. Red pepper flakes or more fennel seed or salt would be tasty. Also, you can omit one can of diced tomatoes and add tomato sauce for less chunks or tomato paste to thicken it. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Macaroni Salad

This is a very simple, child-friendly dish. It takes just a few moments to make, and children will eat it up. My three blessings seem to like less rather than more ingredients in any given dish. The more things I add, the more I risk them not liking it. So, this has been received well.

Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound of small elbow noodles
2 large carrots, trimmed and diced small
4 celery stalks, trimmed and diced small
1 cup of Veganaise
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Cook noodles according to package directions. While the pasta is boiling, chop the carrots and celery. Drain the pasta and pour back into the pot. Add the carrots, celery, veganaise, salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly and pour into a serving bowl. Chill for at least two hours. Stir before serving. That's it! Serves at least five hungry vegans.

Lasagna with Soy

This is a delicious child-friendly lasagna! I've used some shortcuts to save money and time, but feel free to do everything from scratch, if you desire. The olives I bought whole and sliced myself to save money, and the sauce is store-bought to save time since making lasagna is time-consuming enough. The brand I chose does not have corn syrup. (My husband is hypoglycemic, so we need to watch that closely. Now, our whole family does not eat or drink anything with corn syrup for health reasons.) I made it on Saturday night, and my two older blessings have been eating up the leftovers for breakfast and lunch ever since!

This is a picture of the whole lasagna.

This is a picture of a square of the lasagna. Notice all the goodies inside.

Lasagna with Soy

Ingredients:

1 box of lasagna noodles
1 tsp. canola oil
1 package of SmartGround, original style
2 - 12 oz. boxes of silken firm tofu
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley (we used flat style from our garden)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 bunch spinach
1 can of whole olives
2 jars of Classico Fire Roasted Tomato spaghetti sauce
1 cup of Vegan Gourmet cheese, cheddar style, grated finely

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and put your top rack into the second position from the top. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until you can handle them with your hands. While the water for the noodles is heating to boil, prepare the rest of the lasagna fixings. Heat the oil in a small saucepan and add the SmartGround when ready. Cook until it browns, then set aside. In a medium bowl, mash the tofu with a fork and stir in the parsley, salt, pepper, onion powder and oregano. Set aside. Wash the spinach thoroughly and tear the leaves into bite size pieces. Discard stems (or put them in your compost like us). Drain and slice the olives into thirds. In a 9x12 baking pan, pour 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom and spread around. You are now going to make three identical layers with the noodles and other ingredients. Start off with three rows of noodles to cover the sauce. If you are using a more narrow noodle, you will have to adjust the rest of the amounts accordingly. Spread 2 Tbs. of soy on each noodle, followed by three Tbs. of the tofu mixture on each noodle. Layer a blanket of the torn spinach leaves on the tofu, followed by a 1/4 cup of the olives spread over the spinach. Pour one cup of sauce on top of that. Follow with two more layers exactly like this one. On top of the third layer, add one more layer of noodles. Cover this with 1 and 1/2 cups of sauce, making sure all the noodles are covered (or else you'll get dried out noodles). Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese and top with the rest of the olives. (You will have leftover sauce and noodles for another meal.) Bake for 40 minutes, then turn on the broiler for five more minutes to melt the cheese. Let set for five minutes or so before cutting. Feeds at least five hungry vegans. Enjoy!