Vegetarian Cuisine

VEGETARIAN LASAGNE – Serve this lasagne with a fresh green salad. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

6 ounces spinach, steamed and squeezed dry
9 ounces firm tofu, crumbled and drained
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into matchsticks
2 zucchini, cut into matchsticks
1 quantity of tomato sauce
6 sheets of dried lasagne, cooked and drained
1 cup grated vegetarian cheese
2 tablespoons sunflower or sesame seeds
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
Tomato sauce – see recipe below

Preparation:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Chop the spinach and mix it with the tofu. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil and sauté the bell pepper and zucchini strips over medium heat for 3 minutes.
4. Spoon a layer of tomato sauce into a greased 8 x 10 inch baking dish.
5. Cover this with a layer of cooked lasagne, then half the tofu and spinach mixture, and half the zucchini and bell pepper strips. Sprinkle with half the grated cheese.
6. Repeat the layers, then sprinkle the sunflower or sesame seeds and the yeast flakes, if using, over the top.
7. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes until bubbling and golden.
8. Serve at once.

TOMATO SAUCE for LASAGNE – Use deep red, juicy tomatoes if possible and make sauce in advance and let stand few hours to bring out the flavour. Makes about 2¼ cups.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound mixed diced vegetables (zucchini, green bell pepper, carrot).
1 bay leaf
2 ½ cups fresh or canned tomatoes
⅔ cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or basil or 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the vegetables over medium heat until soft.
2. Add the bay leaf, tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer for 45 minutes.
3. Add the herbs and season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve as a chunky sauce or puree in a food processor or blender for smooth sauce.

Notes for Tomato Sauce:

Option: To use this tomato sauce for pizza topping, use 2½ cups yellow and/or green bell peppers, cored, seeded and chopped, instead of mixed vegetables. Add pinch cayenne pepper if desired.
Option: This tomato sauce can be used on vegetables and grains. Instead of mixed vegetables use 2 sticks celery, chopped finely and 1 grated carrot.
This recipe is an edited contribution for the Sivananda Gurugram, partly sourced and edited from The Yoga Cookbook. Vegetarian Food for Body and
Mind. Recipes from the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres. 1999.

Enrich your blood through Japa, Kirtan, Meditation, Sattva, Pranayama, Asanas… tomatoes, grapes, spinach, pure air and sunlight. – Sri Swami Sivananda