A short and sweet post from me today as I have an old friend making an impromptu visit this weekend and I still have heaps to do before I pick her up from the train station… A house to clean, supplies to buy, bedding to change…you get the gist. I’m really excited to see her as we don’t get to hang out very often. She has never been to Bristol before so we will probably spend most our time wandering around town, but I made some emergency comfort food if we get bored of eating out.
I made a tray of autumn-inspired comfort food that I am keen to share with you. It’s my seasonal take on lasagna featuring some of my favourite autumn flavours – pumpkin and mushrooms. It’s a true flavour bomb and there are no tomatoes in sight, something that certainly sets it apart from traditional lasagna. Instead of tomato sauce, I’ve made a delicious silky smooth pumpkin sauce with some caramelised chunks of pumpkin thrown in for some texture. The mince layer is made up of a mountain of mushrooms and some lentils for some bite and extra protein, which you can also replace with chopped up roasted walnuts if you prefer. The whole thing is crowned with a layer of indulgent béchamel sauce cos being vegan doesn’t mean you’ve got to lead a monk-like lifestyle…(contrary to what the general public believes veganism means 😉 ). Like any lasagna, this isn’t a speedy dish to make on a Friday night after work, but something you may want to make on the weekend or when you are expecting guests. It has three distinct components, all of which can be made in advance and refrigerated – in fact, the finished product will taste better for it. It does take a bit of time to put this dish together, but I hope you’ll enjoy the process as much as the end result.
1 kg / 35 oz peeled and cubed firm pumpkin / squash 30 ml / 2 tbsp olive oil 2 heads of garlic 360 ml / 1½ cups almond milk 5 fresh sage leaves 20 ml / 4 tsp lemon juice, to taste pinch of chilli (optional) salt and pepper to taste
MUSHROOM MINCE
30 ml / 2 tbsp olive oil 3 banana shallots, finely diced 6 garlic cloves, finely diced 15 fresh sage leaves 750 g / 26½ oz chestnut / cremini mushrooms, cleaned 15 ml / 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tbsp red miso 120 ml / ½ cup red wine 30 ml / 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce 225 g / 1½ cups cooked firm lentils* (I like Puy) salt and pepper, to taste 500 g / 17½ oz vegan lasagne sheets
BECHAMEL (or alternative bechamel)
780 ml / 3¼ cups oat milk (I recommend Oatly original) or other plant milk 1 head of roasted garlic cloves 2 tsp white miso paste 80 ml / 1/3 cup mild olive oil (or 100 g / 3½ oz vegan butter) 85 g / 2/3 cup AP flour (or GF flour mix) 2 tbsp nutritional yeast salt to taste ¼ tsp pepper, adjust to taste freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
BECHAMEL ASSEMBLY
