PPN: Meaty Cauliflower and Walnut Lasagne

You can imagine my joy when we got our oven fixed last week.  I had missed it over the week that it was out of action.  To celebrate, I spent hours making a lasagne and a loaf of bread.  I was exhausted afterwards but luckily I had made enough for dinner for days and the fruit bread (to come soon) gave me a week of breakfasts.

The lasagne was all the more satisfying because I finally made a Meaty Veg-Based Ground “Meat” that Ricki posted around this time last year.  I am constantly in admiration of her ways with flavours and substitutions but this one is just pure genius.  Who would have thought that cauliflower and walnuts would mimic mince meat! 

I am wary of faux meats in the stores.  TVP and seitan have never seemed quite right to me.  This faux mince meat makes me feel more comfortable. It is made of ingredients that I regularly have in the house.  It is fairly simple to make though it still adds a bit of extra time to the lasagne.  I still have half the batch left in the freezer and am wondering what to make with it - spag bol, chilli non carne, tacos, nachos, burgers.

I took before and after photos of the mixture (above and below) and you might not see much difference.  Blame my photography.  It did look a lot darker once it was cooked.

However, check out the below picture of the "mince meat" in the tomato sauce.  Does it look like a regular spag bol sauce?  As we ate the lasagne, I kept saying to E, it looks just like a meat lasagne.  Of course I would only need one of my brothers to point out that of course their regular lasagne wouldn't have seeds on it or spinach.  I guess I have picked up some odd habits since becoming vegetarian!

We ate late that night but it was worth it.  This lasagne tasted amazing.  Though there are a lot of nuts in the "mince meat", there is lots of cauliflower to lighten it.  E loved it too.  He had lots of dishes to celebrate the return of the oven but all the leftovers meant minimal dishes for quite some days following it.  This "mince meat" will become a regular fixture in our household.

I am sending this to Tandy of Lavender & Lime who is hosting Presto Pasta Nights #232 this week. It is too long since I have been part of this virtual pasta feast, which was founded by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: Green Tambourine Cafe
This time two years ago: Simple Feta and Tomato Supper
This time three years ago: Fridge Door Confessions

Meaty lasagne with cauliflower and walnut "meat"
serves 8

Tomato sauce:
1 onion, chopped (I used red onion)
1 carrot, diced
1 red capsicum, diced
750ml passata (sieved tomatoes)
1/2 jar of pasta sauce (optional)
little bit extra water to swish out tomato sauce jars1/2 - 1 tsp mixed herbs
1/2 tsp golden syrup (or other sweetener)
generous pinch salt

White sauce:
30g butter
2 heaped dessertspoons wholemeal flour
about 1 cup milk or as needed
1 tsp seeded mustard
pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:

Half a batch of cauliflower and walnut mince meat (see recipe below)
375g "fresh" lasagna sheets (or a bit less)
spinach, chopped (optional)
200g mozzarella, grated
1-2 tbsps each of sesame seeds and sunflower seeds

Firstly make the cauliflower and walnut mince meat. See recipe below.

Next make the tomato sauce.  Fry the onion and carrot for about 5-10 minutes until softened.  Add red capsicum and fry an additional 2-3 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and gently simmer for about 20-30 minutes.  It will only thicken slightly.  Go easy on the seasoning because the "mince meat" is well seasoned.

Once tomato sauce is done, add the "mince meat" and set aside while you make the white sauce so the meat can soak up the sauce.

To make white sauce: melt butter in a small saucepan.  Stir in flour (to make a roux) and cook a minute or two over low heat until it starts to dry out (if there is quite a bit of melted butter oozing out of the roux add a little more flour).  Add milk very gradually until you have a very milky mixture.  Bring to the boil, stirring frequently.  By the time the mixture boils it should thicken sightly but still have a pouring consistency.  Add mustard, salt and pepper.  Check and adjust seasoning.

If using spinach, lightly steam spinach - I did this in a bag in the microwave - and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

To assemble:  Smear a spoonful or two of tomato sauce on the roasting dish.  Cover the bottom of the dish with a layer of lasagne dish.  Evenly spread with about one third of the tomato sauce and half of the spinach.  Cover with a layer of lasagne.  Spread a third of the tomato sauce and a scattering of the cheese sauce.  Cover with another layer of lasagne and spread with the remaining tomato sauce and spinach.  Cover with the fourth and last layer of pasta.  Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta.  Sprinkle with cheese, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds.

Bake at 220 C for about 40 minutes.  Ideally sit for 10-15 minutes before eating - but if you are hungry, just tuck in!

Cauliflower and Walnut "Mince Meat"
From Diet Dessert and Dogs

1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets (about 450 g after trimming)
2 cups (250 g) raw walnuts
2 Tbsp olive oil (I forgot this)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp dried sage ( I used mixed herbs)
1.5 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
2 Tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce, or tamari

Preheat oven to 180 C (or 350 F) and lightly grease a roasting tin.

Use a food processor to finely chop cauliflower and walnuts into a fine meal (I processed the cauli and nuts one at a time).  Transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients, checking for taste.  Ricki mixed with her hands but I found a spoon did the trick!

Tip the mixture into the prepared roasting tin and and spread out evenly. Bake for between 45 and 75 minutes, checking and stirring at 30 minutes and then about every 15 minutes after it.  I found it needed to be stirred midway because it cooked on top quicker than at the bottom of the tin.  The mixture is ready when it is dry and browned.

You can use it right away, keep in fridge for 3 days or freeze it.

On the stereo:
The Rip Tide: Beirut