Saturday 18 September 2010

PPN Pea lasagne

I had brunch with a friend today who asked what I had been cooking lately. Sadly, I had to tell him not a lot was going on in my kitchen recently. Very little in the way of new ideas. Some good old ones. My most creative moments have come with lasagne.

I recently made a lovely chana masala with the leftovers going into a potato and carrot mash. Tonight I made a great stew on soft polenta a bit like this dish but with more vegetables and beans. Not all my recent efforts have been successful. I have had mushy rice-noodle soup, an underseasoned miso soup (which wasn’t so bad for a headache) and oversweet pancakes.

After my delicious tofu-ricotta, pumpkin and zucchini lasagne, I had 'fresh' lasagne sheets left in the fridge. (Not quite enough for the lasagne as you can see in my photo but close enough!) It occurred to me to use it to make dumplings or cannelloni but in the end I went for the easy option and made more lasagne. I also used up leftover tofu, pesto, passata and cashews!

[Cashews!!! So that is where those cashews went! I spent quite a bit of time this evening looking for them.]

I hadn’t been to the shops so I was using what was at hand. Peas from the freezer were the main vegetable. Partly because I didn’t have many other vegetables and partly because I have been thinking about making a pea filled pasta ever since seeing this pea cannelloni and these pea dumplings. I used some silken tofu in the filling and then rather than having leftovers I decided to make a tofu sour cream. It also seemed easier than making a béchamel sauce.

E loved this lasagne. He preferred it to the tofu ricotta one because it was creamier and had a tomato sauce. I enjoyed it but preferred the previous one because it was lighter and seemed to have more vegetables. In fact if I had had any fresh tomatoes on hand I would have used them instead of the tomato sauce. I also preferred the crispy crunchy topping of the tofu ricotta lasagne. But peas and pasta seem a fine combination so below is what I did.

I am sending this lasagne to Val of More than Burnt Toast. She is hosting this week’s Presto Pasta Night (#182), the blog event for pasta lovers founded by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: MM Heirloom Ginger Fluff Sponge
This time two years ago: A bloody tale of burritos and beans

Pea lasagna
serves 4

Pea filling:
  • 2 cups peas (I used frozen)
  • 150g soft tofu
  • ½ cup almonds, ground
  • 45g cashews, ground
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp pesto
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • juice of half a smallish lemon
  • few drops of tabasco sauce
Tomato sauce (or used sliced tomatoes):
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 350ml passata
  • 2-3 tbsp red wine
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • ¼ tsp balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ tsp maple syrup
  • good pinch salt
Tofu sour cream:
  • 150g soft tofu
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp umeboshi vinegar
  • ½ tsp mirin
  • 1 small clove garlic, crushed
  • pinch of salt
To assemble:
  • 200-300g lasagne sheets (I used 'fresh')
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp poppy seeds
  • grated cheese (optional - I used about 50g)
To make pea filling, blend ingredients together in a food processor.

To make tomato sauce fry onion in olive oil in a frypan until browned. Add garlic and continue frying for a minute. Deglaze with wine. Add remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Remove from heat.

To make tofu sour cream: blend all ingredients in a food processor.

Grease a lasagne dish and spread a spoonful or two along the bottom of the dish. Lay lasagne sheets on top. Spread pea filling. Top with more lasagne sheets. Repeat pea and lasagne sheets layers. Spread tomato sauce over lasagne sheets. Dollop sour cream over the tomato sauce and gently spread evenly over the tomato sauce with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with cheese and seeds. Bake at 210 C for 40-45 minutes until golden and crispy on top.

On the stereo:
Baalstorm, Sing Omega: Current 93

20 comments:

  1. I have never heard of umeboshi vinegar, I love umeboshi so I am intrested to see what it tastes like - I will have to have a search for it today.

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  2. There is a great recipe for a pea lasagne in Marlena Speilers book Vegetarian Pasta. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/VEGETARIAN-PASTA-Marlena-Spieler-/310249904955

    It is my go to lasange recipe (except boyfrined did not like the peas so use eggplant and roast capsicum).

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  3. I thought I spotted poppy seeds! What a wonderfully inventive recipe for a "from the pantry"-ish meal. Woscestershire sauce, peas, and nutritional yeast... I reckon you're well qualified to not cook anything else new for a week, riding on the coat-tails of this creativity! :D

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  4. OMG that looks soooo good! I haven't visited in a few months, and now I know why I missed you so much!!!

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  5. That looks absolutely delish!

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  6. Yum yum yum! that looks and sounds delicious!

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  7. I love peas in tortellini, so pea lasagna definitely appeals to me :)

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  8. Peas and pasta go so well together and with all the good ingredients you added, this lasagna sounds delicious!

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  9. This looks delicious! I never get round to making lasagne because it seems so time-consuming - but with results like that maybe I should!

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  10. This looks wonderful. I'm not sure which one I'd prefer, the previous lasagna or this one--I think I would love them both! Such creative fillings--I would never have thought to combine peas, tomatoes and tofu sour cream but it sounds as if they'd work together beautifully. And from the list you rhymed off, I'd say you've been doing LOTS in the kitchen! :)

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  11. This looks really good. I always have troubles when I have to think a about a "white" lasagna. If you are not careful you end up filling it with fatty besciamella sauce...

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  12. Wow, this looks wonderful. I've actually never made a lasagne, but this recipe is very intriguing. I would love to try this!

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  13. oh this is a great idea! So very creative :)

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  14. this looks AMAZING.. BUT WHERE O WHERE DID YOU GET UMEBOSHI VINEGAR?!?! I've been trying to find it for a million years!

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  15. Thank you so much for joining in the fun at PPN this week Johanna. Peas seem like a natural progression for a delicious lasagna.

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  16. fine hearty fare for an autumn evening. I don't need much of an excuse to cook with peas and I like your addition of nuts too.

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  17. Thanks Jess - I first heard of umeboshi vinegar when looking for fish sauce substitutions - I sometimes mix a bit with soy sauce for this purpose

    Thanks for the recommendation Freya - never heard of it but am always on the look out for a good veg pasta cookbook

    Thanks Hannah - I will take my brownie points for creativity - not much energy for lots of cooking - but I can say that poppy seeds and sesame seeds on lasagne is quite a regular thing with me - got it from a vegan cookbook soon after I went vego

    Thanks Amacuba - glad the cooking is still inspiring - hope you don't leave it too long to come back again

    Thanks Widge and Vegiebug

    Thanks Rachel - never had peas in tortellini but sounds great

    Thanks Sweet Artichoke - yes I am a big fan of the pairing

    Thanks Lysy - I don't make lasagne often because it is time consuming but it usually feeds us for a few nights and is so yummy that I am always glad when I do

    Thanks Ricki - we had takeaway pizza the other night and I just thought I could have made a much nicer healthier dinner for little energy - so I keep cooking even if not trying new stuff

    Thanks Matilda - the idea of white lasagna is not for me as I love colour but I agree that too much bechamel sauce is too heavy and I am pleased to find tofu is so much lighter and just as yummy if flavoured well

    Thanks Jodye - I can't recommend home made lasange highly enough - it is the path to culinary happiness

    Thanks Lisa

    Thanks Carla - I have had my umeboshi vinegar for ages - I think I got it at wholefoods in fitzroy - if you just can't find it I could donate some of my bottle as I don't use it much

    Thanks Val - definitely and with peas in the freezer and lasagne in the cupboard is it a great pantry-staples lasagne

    Thanks Nic - peas and nuts is a more recent love - I think it started with Jacqueline's pea pesto which has cashews!

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  18. That looks great Johanna, I have some sliken tofu that I need to use so am going to experiment.

    I adore dairy, but it really does not love me at all!

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  19. Love the concept of pea lasagne. Garfield should like it too.

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  20. Peas are one of my favourite foods so this lasagna definitely speaks to me! I love the look of the sesame and poppy seeds on top. You know I'd never heard of passata until looking through a new vegetarian cookbook a couple of days ago and now I've seen it on your blog!

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