Vegan Holiday Menu Three

I hope you enjoyed the first two vegan holiday menu. If you missed them, you can view menu one here and menu two here.

The idea for this holiday menu came from watching one of those holiday baking challenges. The contestants were asked to make their favorite holiday meal out of cake. Both of the Italian contestants made lasagna.

Now I know my lasagna is no way authentic but I hope you still enjoy it.


This week's menu

Main Course: Spinach and Mushroom White Lasagna

Sides: Salad (no recipe)
Vegetable Antipasta Platter (no recipe)

Dessert: Daiya Cheesecake (my fave) with Chocolate Amaretto Sauce

My first attempt at making the lasagna did not exactly taste or look good. I want to thank my friends Karen and Larry for being my taste testers and feedback.

The final version was granddaughter approved!


Vegetable Antipasta Platter

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture before we started eating. Really the only thing missing on my platter is the apples. My platter consisted of black and green olive, artichoke hearts, apples, pickled vegetables, and Marcona almonds.



Spinach and Mushroom White Lasagna
1 pkg noncook lasagna noodles
2 lbs fresh baby spinach
olive oil for sauteeing
2 cloves garlic...minced
1 lb baby bella mushrooms...roughly chopped
1 shallot...finely diced
1 1/2 t Italian seasoning mix
salt and pepper to taste
Juice of one lemon

For the sauce:
5 T vegan butter
4 T gluten-free flour
4 c nondairy milk (I used almond)
1 1/2 T Italian seasoning
2 garlic clove...minced (more or less to taste)
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 350.

In a large skillet, saute shallot and mushrooms. When the mushrooms start to give up their liquid starting adding the spinach one handful at a time until it is wilted. Once the all the spinach is wilted, add salt and pepper to taste, Italian seasoning, and the lemon juice.

Make the sauce; in a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the gluten-free flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook about 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the nondairy milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Whisking continuously add the hot nondairy milk to the vegan butter mixture. Add Italian seasoning and garlic. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon some of the sauce into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 baking pan or bread pans (see note below). Add a layer of noodles, then the spinach-mushroom mixture. Repeat until all the noodles have been used. End with a layer of sauce.

Cover with foil; bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before cutting.

*Side note...make sure your noodles fit snuggly in your pan. The first time I make this recipe the pan I bought said: "for lasagna". It was way too big. Despite the noodle box directions of using a 9 x 13 pan, I ended up using bread pans.

Chocolate Amaretto Sauce
1/2 c coconut cream
1/2 c gluten free vegan mini chocolate chips (Like this
1 T Amaretto

Place a can of coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight.

Scoop out the coconut cream; place in a saucepan with the mini chocolate chips. Over low heat, stir the mixture until it becomes a liquid. Remove from heat. Stir in Amaretto. Cool a bit. Drizzle over cheesecake.


Enjoy!


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