simple tofu ricotta lasagna

Simple Tofu Ricotta Lasagna, a Meatless Monday Meal ready in under an hour!

Tofu Ricotta Lasagna ~vegan~ A Meatless Monday Meal ready in under an hour!

Tofu replaces the cheese in this lasagna making it vegan friendly.  I kept it simple this time around and only added spinach and basil, but you can add any veggies you want!  Zucchini, mushrooms or peppers would all make a great addition!

Tofu ricotta is a mixture of crumbled tofu, garlic, lemon juice, sea salt and nutritional yeast.  Even my non-liking tofu tike liked this dish!  However, I told a little white lie and said it was cheese :)

For convenience I used organic jarred marinara sauce, but feel free to make your own!  One of my favorite marinara recipes comes from Giada, it sneaks in an extra serving of veggies from added celery and carrots!

Tofu Ricotta Lasagna ~vegan~ A meatless monday meal ready in under an hour!

The original recipe came from Whole Foods.

For a gluten free version: Try using zucchini lasagna noodles!  Just take two large zucchinis, slice thin the long way, sprinkle with a little sea salt to pull out extra moisture and use in place of lasagna noodles!  Increase cook time if needed until zucchini is tender.

tofu ricotta lasagna
 
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Makes a 8x11 serving pan, 6 servings
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • For tofu ricotta:
  • 1 block tofu (14 oz), drained and pressed
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • For Lasagna:
  • 12 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package
  • 2 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 1.5 (25 oz) jars marinara sauce (~5 cups)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, crumble tofu and mix in garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, sea salt/pepper and fresh basil leaves.
  3. In a 8x11 pan add a thin layer of marinara sauce, layer with 4 cooked lasagna noodles then add a layer of tofu ricotta (1/2 of mixture) and chopped spinach and basil (~1 cup). Repeat 2 twice ending with a layer of lasagna noodles and topped with sauce.
  4. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
  5. Serve warm and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Calories: 321 Fat: 7 Carbohydrates: 55 Sugar: 7 Fiber: 4 Protein: 16

Tofu Ricotta Lasagna ~vegan~ A meatless monday meal made in under an hour!

This was a lot for our little family of three, so I froze half of it for later use!  For next time I will just thaw, add a little more sauce on top and bake until warmed through!

Tofu Ricotta Lasagna ~vegan~ A meatless monday meal ready in under an hour!

Happy Meatless Monday!

kale and potato soup ~vegan, gluten free~

A rustic meal made in under an hour!  Kale and potato soup!

Kale and Potato Soup ~ vegan, gluten free ~ A rustic meal made in less than an hour!

We’re back!  

Between a family trip to Disney World and preparing for our big move, things have been a bit crazy!  Meals are simple these days, mostly soups, salads and sandwiches.  Kitchen sink soups are great to make when trying to empty out the refrigerator and shelves!  I’ve also been utilizing summer kale that was frozen for this very purpose!

When we move into our new house I am getting my very own pantry!  I honestly could care less what the rest of the house looks like as long as I have a big kitchen and pantry!

Having a well stocked pantry is so important!  Remember: when you have healthy food in the house, you will eat healthy food!  Many pantry items can be thrown together to create a simple and healthy meal in a limited amount of time!  Stock up on these when on sale!

Here is a list of a few of my pantry favorites:

~canned beans (BPA free lined cans), white, black, kidney and chickpeas Lots of beans! 

~dried beans and lentils

~vegetable broth

~brown and basmati rice

~quinoa

~barley

~whole wheat, gluten free or brown rice pasta

~extra dried seasonings, sea salt and pepper

~braggs amino acids or tamari

~red wine and rice vinegar

~dijon mustard

~organic diced tomatoes and tomato sauce

~capers and olives

~olive oil, toasted sesame seed oil and coconut oil

~old fashioned oats

~dried fruit (organic raisins and cranberries)

~nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios), pine nuts, sunflower seeds, tahini and nut butters

~flax seeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds

~canned coconut milk, non-refrigerated almond milk

Kale and Potato Soup ~ vegan, gluten free ~ A rustic meal made in less than an hour!

Kale and Potato Soup
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6-8 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (organic)
  • 4 red potatoes, chopped
  • 2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 4-6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bunch of kale, destemmed and chopped (or frozen kale)
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil and sauté onion until lightly golden. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
  2. Add broth, diced tomatoes, potatoes, beans and thyme and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
  3. Add kale and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, add sea salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Enjoy!

 Kale and Potato Soup ~ vegan, gluten free ~ A rustic meal made in less than an hour!