For the love of lasagna...

As most of you know, I'm allergic to a million and one things. And if you didn't, well now you do. Lately it seems like everyone I know has been eating lasagna. Or talking about it. I've been meaning to take a stab at making my own, and yesterday was the day. I knew it wouldn't taste exactly like real lasagna, how could it without any real cheese? Most vegans would suggest soy as a replacement, but for me, that's out of the question just as much as gluten is. This dang lasagna was so much work it wiped me out for the rest of the day. I told Christopher "this is going to be a once a month, and only on your birthday type meal", because this pregnant mama just doesn't have the energy anymore. I might make it again in the near future, just because there are some alterations that need to be made. Like more tomato sauce, and maybe some shredded carrots, but, here's what I came up with...

For the love of lasagna!

-1 box gluten free no bake rice lasagna noodles

-1 lbs grass fed organic beef

-2 tablespoons oil

-1 lemon

-2 onions

-1 red bell

-1 box frozen spinach

-5 cloves garlic

-1/2 box fresh chopped mushrooms

-11 oz unsalted cashews

-2 heaping tablespoons nutritional yeast

-hot water, broth, OR milk

-1 can artichokes

-1 small can tomato sauce

-1 small can diced tomato

-pinch sugar

-1/2 teaspoon basil

-1/2 teaspoon oregano

-salt

-pepper

The tomato sauce!

-brown your meat. set aside.

-chop 1 onion, 3 cloves of garlic, all of your mushrooms, 1/2 red bell, and saute them on med heat in oil for a few minutes.

-pour in your tomato items (sauce and diced).

-add your basil and oregano, a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper to taste.

-after a few minutes of cooking, toss in your browned meat.

-let simmer.

The cheese sauce!

-In a blender, food processor, magic bullet, whatever... grind up your cashews.

-add enough hot water (or other liquid) for a smooth blend. I eyeball'd it.

-chop up your other onion, garlic, and other half of red pepper. Toss it in.

-add artichokes.

-add juice from one fresh lemon.

-blend blend blend.

-add salt as needed.

-pour into a pan and heat over medium heat until steamy.

Thaw and drain your spinach.

Turn on your oven to 375.

Get out your lasagna dish.

The layering!

-pour enough tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan to cover it.

-add your first layer of noodles.

-then, more sauce. all of your spinach, and about half of your cheese sauce.

-more noodles.

-the last of your red sauce, and the last of your cheese sauce.

-bake covered in foil 30-40 minutes.

-remove tin foil, bake about 10 more minutes, until all yummy and bubbly looking.

Now I'm no professional chef, but for not having any form of lasagna in well over a year, I'd say this turned out pretty dang good :)