Vegan Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Shells just the way everyone likes them...filled with Italian "Sausage," Spinach, "Ricotta," topped with a homemade Tomato Sauce and melting "Mozzarella"...vegan substitutes make terrific replacements in this classic dish!

Heart Healthy Vegan Substitutes

Italian Sausage - Smoked Style Veggie Protein Sausage

Ricotta - Tofu put through a potato ricer, Olive Oil, Yeast Flakes, Lemon & Sea Salt

Parmesan - Nutritional Yeast Flakes

Mozzarella - Shredded Pasteurized Process Cheese Alternative, Mozzarella Flavor

Stuffed Shells Recipe

Cut sausage into cubes, brown in a small amount of canola oil. Drain on paper towels, set aside.

Meanwhile make the tomato sauce: In a pot, sauté finely chopped onion and red pepper flakes in a good amount of olive oil. Add some minced garlic, dried oregano and basil. Then add a can of diced tomatoes with juice.

Simmer tomato sauce over low heat while preparing the shells. Finish with sea salt to taste.

At the same time, cook jumbo shells (whole grain if possible) in boiling water until al dente.
Drain the shells.

In a sauté pan, cook finely chopped onion and red pepper flakes in olive oil. Add defrosted and drained "frozen cut leaf spinach" to the pan. Cook until all the moisture has evaporated. Season with fresh grated nutmeg. Let cool.

To make the ricotta substitute, pass a block of firm tofu through a potato ricer.

Add 1 T. Nutritional Yeast Flakes, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, 1 T. olive oil and sea salt to taste.
Mix to combine.

The flakes make a great vegan substitute for Parmesan with an intense nutty roasted flavor.

Combine sausage, tofu ricotta, and spinach mixtures.

Ladle some of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange the empty shells over the sauce. Spoon filling into the shells. Top shells with the remaining sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F until the shells are heated through.

Remove foil, top with a sprinkling of yeast flakes and shredded mozzarella.
Cook uncovered until the cheese starts to melt.

Garnish with fresh basil.

Lori Lynn

Taste With The Eyes

Baby Bella Mushroom and Zucchini Lasagna

From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen

A while back I mentioned how I had been carefully watching my carb intake. Well, sometimes, I have to give in to that craving because it is healthy and I happened to play an hour of rigorous racquetball with Ryan. The other reason I had to give in, is that my creative juices have been urging me to try my hand at creating a delicioius substitute for the famously cheese-ladened version.


Ever since I bought my first bag of Daiya cheese at the health food store, I decided it was time to jump in and test my skills. Another reason for making lasagna was seeing other bloggers making it. That was inspiring. I was not going to be left behind! :)


A few months ago I made Stuffed Pasta Shells, I created my own recipe for the tofu ricotta, but I was not convinced this would be the right recipe for my lasagna. So as I thought of the right ricotta "cheese" recipe, nutritional yeast came to mind. Nutritional yeast is used ALOT among vegans in order to acheive a cheesy or nutty flavor to dishes. I made a Egg-less Noodles and "Cheeze" recipe to make up for the mac and cheese craving 5 months ago.


Nutritional yeast is like Brewer's Yeast, which I really disliked as a child, and is a complete protein. It also supplements the much needed B12 vitamin that most vegetarians and vegans are in dire need. The important thing is having a balanced diet where a vegan is able to get the appropriate vitamins. I totally do not want to be B12 deficient!


When it came time to make the tofu ricotta, I planned around how much nutritional yeast I would need. I knew I was not making a 9 x 13 pan of lasagna, so I was not going to make a ton of ricotta. I used a 4½" x 8½" x 3" loaf pan to make smaller servings in order not to have too many leftovers. The other reason not to make a ton of lasagna was that Ryan was not convinced on a cheeseless lasagna, even though he said he would taste it.


I pressed the tofu for 3 hours, but only because I was preparing so far in advance. It can be pressed for an hour. I crumbled the tofu and it was perfect! I had never pressed tofu that long and I really liked the texture. I used my normal recipe for ricotta back before I was vegan. Parsley flakes, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and 1 Tbsp water. YUM people. I sampled it raw and it was fantastic. I coulf not wait to try it in the lasagna.

From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen

While I fixed the tofu ricotta, I boiled the lasagna.

From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen

And I cooked some baby bella mushrooms for a little bit.

From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen

Since it was Sunday and I was starving after a hard workout, I decided to use my favorite bottled sauce, Bertolli.

From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen

I sliced up one zucchini, length wise and then started up the layering process. I added a 1.5 Tablespoon to the bottom of the pan, and added 1.5 lasagna noodles, 2 Tablespoons tofu ricotta, and topped with 4 slices of zucchini.

From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen

I then added the mushrooms.

From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen

I repeated the layering until I ended with noodles, sauce and then added 1/2 cup Daiya vegan cheese. I was really excited to see how the flavors would turn out.

From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen

From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen

I baked it for 20 minutes in 425 degree heat and here were the results.

From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen

Baby Bella Mushroom and Zucchini Lasagna


serves 4 (using a 4½" x 8½" x 3" loaf pan)(can use a 9x9)


6 lasagna noodles, cut in half , width wise
1 zucchini, sliced length-wise (1/4 inch thick)
1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/4-1/2 cups Bertolli Tomato and Basil sauce
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1/2 garlic powder
12 ounce Mori-Nu firm tofu, pressed
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp water
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup Daiya vegan cheese crumbles


Preheat oven to 425 degree Fahrenheit.


Press tofu before starting assembling lasagna. Tofu must be pressed 45 minutes to an hour long.


Crumble tofu in a small bowl, making sure there are no big chunks. Add nutritional yeast, parsley flakes, minced garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and water. mix well and set aside.


Heat water for lasagna in a deep sauce pan. Split noodles beforehand and cook according to packaged directions.


Meanwhile, slice zucchini and mushrooms. These veggies create a lot of moisture, so I decided to keep the tofu ricotta drier. Saute' sliced mushrooms in 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add garlic powder and Italian seasonings and cook for 5 minutes. Do not overcook.


Start layering process.

• 1st layer: 1 1/2 Tbsp sauce
• 2nd layer: 2 half noodles and a 1/4
• 3rd layer: 2 Tbsp tofu ricotta
• 4th layer: 4 zucchini slices
• 5th layer: 1/4 cup mushrooms
• Repeat process and end with noodles, sauce and 1/2 cup Daiya vegan cheese crumbles.

Place loaf pan on cookie sheet to prevent from spilling in oven. Cook for 20 minutes and remove from oven.


Let lasagna rest for 10-15 minutes and serve.

From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen

High Fiber Pasta e Ceci, Soup-Style

Back in December we made Frank's recipe for Pasta e Ceci from his wonderful blog inspired by the home cooking of his Italian grandmother called Memorie Di Angelina. I had all the ingredients on hand; canned chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, pasta, vegetable broth, canned diced tomato, fresh rosemary, red chile flakes. Then in February we were equally impressed with Linda's recipe for Zuppa di Ceci from her absolutely delightful blog about food and travel, Ciao Chow Linda.

I've enjoyed experimenting with the recipe for Italian chickpea soups. It's high fiber and heart healthy, made with ingredients from the pantry plus fresh rosemary and garlic. The combination of these simple flavors produces an amazingly complex-tasting result. In about 15 minutes!

High Fiber Pasta e Ceci, Soup-Style

In a soup pot, sauté chopped shallot and garlic with red chile flakes in a good amount of olive oil (don't be shy) for a minute or two.

Add some chopped fresh rosemary. It must be fresh. On one occasion I tried this soup with dried rosemary and was disappointed with the result.

When the garlic is barely light brown, add some chopped tomatoes and their juice. The tomatoes are an accent, as this is not a tomato soup, so do not add too much. Simmer. Then add vegetable stock. Bring to a boil.

Add drained, rinsed chickpeas and slightly undercooked whole wheat pasta. Lower the heat and cook through. Taste the soup, add salt if necessary.

Serve with a sprig of fresh rosemary and toasted ciabatta bread, rubbed with garlic and brushed with olive oil.

Lori Lynn

Taste With The Eyes

where the image is meant to titillate and inspire the cook

Heart Healthy Spaghettini

Whole Wheat Spaghettini
Vegetable Protein Italian Style Sausages
Spicy & Garlicky Green Chard
Lemony Tofu Ricotta

Creating Heart Healthy dishes is a fun adventure for me. I feel like I have discovered a whole new cuisine! In this dish I use whole wheat pasta for the extra fiber, a green leafy vegetable, vegetable protein to replace pork sausage, and tofu to replace ricotta cheese. Eating vegetable-based meals several times a week helps me to control my cholesterol. And these meals are so satisfying, I don't miss the meat or cheese.

Slice Smart Sausage on an angle. Brown in a non-stick skillet with a bit of canola oil. Meanwhile, cook whole wheat pasta in salted boiling water.

Heat olive oil in a pan, add a generous amount of minced garlic and red chile flakes. After about a minute add cleaned roughly chopped green chard. Sauté, covered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sea salt to taste.

Lemony Tofu Ricotta

Press one block of firm tofu though a potato ricer.

Mix the following ingredients with the tofu:

• 2 t. nutritional yeast flakes


• 1 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice


• 1 t. lemon zest


• 1 T. olive oil


• salt and pepper to taste

Nutritional yeast flakes have a nutty-cheesy flavor, some think it tastes similar to Parmesan cheese.

We are so lucky to have fresh lemons!

When the chard is cooked, add spaghettini to the pan and toss together.

Plate the pasta chard mixture, top with Smart Sausage slices and a scoop of Lemony Tofu Ricotta for a super-satisfying heart healthy vegetable-based meal!

Lori Lynn

Taste With The Eyes

where the image is meant to titillate and inspire the cook

Hello, And What I've Been Cooking

Hi, I'm Sra, and I'm excited about joining this venture. I blog at When My Soup Came Alive and 365-1/4. You can read a little more about why I joined this group project here.

In this post, I will only guide you to the vegan and vegetarian food I've been making in the last couple of weeks.

Here's a link to a concoction of my own - couscous with chickpeas in a tomato-thyme sauce. Most of the ingredients come out of a packet and it's easy to put together.







Thanks to Cynthia's post, I discovered mallum/mallung, and have made a variety of mallums since. Pictured in this photo, at the back, is a cabbage-carrot-beans mallung I made recently. In the foreground are idlis, another vegan staple in India. You can also see a soup, that's chaaru/rasam, yet another staple.

Finally, here's another one I made yesterday. A broad beans recipe, from here. It looks nothing like the original, but it was well-liked. It's cooked in tamarind extract and tempered with garlic and curry leaf.

Heart Healthy Pasta, Mushroom "Cream" Sauce

100% Whole Wheat Orzo Pasta

Italian Brown Mushrooms Sautéed in Olive Oil

Fresh Herbs

Creamy Tofu Sauce

Sauté sliced Italian Brown mushrooms in olive oil.

Meanwhile cook 100% whole wheat orzo al dente.

Season mushrooms with a small amount of sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Add some of your favorite fresh herbs. I added fresh savory.

This sauce is rich and creamy and has a deep umami flavor.

Try it on all your vegetables!

Blend one block (14 oz.) of firm tofu with 1/2 c. canola oil, 1/2 c. water and 2-3 T. each low-sodium Tamari and Bragg Liquid Aminos until smooth.

To serve: Place warm pasta in bowls, top with a generous amount of mushrooms and then the tofu "cream" sauce. Add your favorite fresh herbs (we had chives on hand). For a nice presentation, let everyone mix their own ingredients at the table.

It is an honor to be a contributor to this new blog, The Great VEGA'N VEGETARIAN Project. Deepest thanks to Cynthia Nelson for putting it all together. I look forward to all the wonderful recipes and inspiration this blog will provide.

To Our Healthy Hearts!

Lori Lynn

Taste With The Eyes

UPDATE:
I've been making this tofu sauce for years, here are some tasty variations to try:

Decrease Tamari to 1 T. then add any of the following ingredients

• Add fresh lemon juice and fresh oregano.
• Add curry powder.
• Add hot sauce, toasted sesame oil, lime juice, and cilantro.
• Add fresh basil or parsley.
• Add walnuts and roasted red peppers.
• Add minced garlic and chipotle chile.

We'd love to hear about your delicious blend!