Tag Archives: vegetables

Vegetarian Lasagna 101

italian vegetable lasagna

Lasagna is a vegetarian staple.  It’s a great one dish meal and can be made in advance and cooked at a later time, so it’s great for busy cooks.  The possibilities are endless when it comes to vegetable and flavor combinations that can be used in lasagna.  You just need to know a few basics about lasagna-making, and then you can create an endless variety of dishes to suit your tastes.  I love a classic Italian-style vegetable lasagna, but I also enjoy butternut squash lasagna, smoked salmon lasagna, mushroom lasagna, and others.  

Ok, let’s go over the basics . . .

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Cauliflower Dal

 dal 002

Cauliflower Dal

A dal is an Indian stew made from lentils or beans. This flavorful version uses panch phoran, a whole spice blend containing equal parts of fenugreek, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, and nigella seeds. You can find this blend in well-stocked spice shops, Indian markets, or online.
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower broken into florets
  • 2 TBSP coconut oil canola oil would work fine as well
  • 1 1/2 cups red lentils rinsed and drained
  • 4 cups vegetable stock*
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 TBSP tumeric
  • 1 1/2 TBSP panch phoran
  • 1/2 TBSP crushed red pepper or aleppo pepper optional
  • 1 jalepeno or other chile minced (optional)
  • 1 1/2 inch piece of ginger grated
  • 2 medium tomatoes diced (you could also use canned diced tomatoes)
  • salt and pepper
  • cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Toss cauliflower florets with 1 TBSP coconut oil, salt and pepper and roast in oven for 15-20 minutes
  • Heat remaining TBSP of coconut oil on medium high heat; add panch phoran and stir until seeds begin to pop
  • When seeds begin to pop, add onion and saute for 3-5 minutes
  • Add chile and garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes
  • Add broth, lentils and tumeric and bring to boil
  • Cook at a simmer until lentils are soft and breaking apart, about 20 minutes
  • Add roasted cauliflower to lentils and continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes until mixture and flavors are well combined
  • Season with salt, pepper, and chile flakes to taste and serve alone or over rice, garnished with cilantro

Notes

* I like Better Than Boullion No Chicken Base
Adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen