Best Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe - Ever!!

Best Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe - Ever!!!

This recipe will be found in The Vegan Table by author, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

This is the 1st recipe we tried from this cookbook, but so far, so good - tis the best vegetarian lasagna recipe I've ever tasted & I'm not exaggerating!

My daughter who cooked this filling meal tweaked Colleen's recipe a titch. She used brown rice noodles instead of wheat - which I rather enjoyed - it lightened up the meal a bit. And she did add soy mozzarella grated cheese in the middle layer & on the top.

Definitely delicious! 

My Vegetarian Story is catching on. 

If you are a vegan or vegetarian, I'd love to read your conversion story. The most interesting ones will be posted at MyVegetarianStory.blogspot.com.

Please limit your personal stories to 1-3 pages. 

Also, a copyrighted book is in the works of the same name. If your story is chosen for the book & the book sales fly, then yes, you will receive a portion of the pie.

Please understand I am a natural editor, so your work may be edited, mostly grammar or spelling - & only if necessary.

I will accept only G-rated stories - as this will be a site for youth too. 

Please email me at myvegetarianstory@gmail.com.  

What's Christmas without -

The Best Gingerbread Cookies!

Here is the best gingerbread cookie recipe I've found. Originally found on the Williams-Sonoma site over a decade ago, I had to tweak it to make it my own. Preparing this holiday treat has definitely become one of our family traditions. I like to share the baked cookies with friends & family & let them do their own decorations.

Prep & Cook Time: About 1 ½ hours, plus 1 hour to chill (I prefer to chill in refrigerator overnight.)

Makes: About 2-3 dozen delicious 3-4 inch cookies.

¾ C molasses

½ C oil

1/3 C firmly packed brown sugar

1 large egg (I use egg replacer)

2 ¾ whole wheat pastry flour

½ t sea salt

1 T baking powder

1 T cinnamon

½ t cloves

1 T ginger - I use finely grated fresh ginger root. Be careful not use the core, which is too fibrous.  Press ginger between toweling to remove excess moisture. I find using the real ginger root the cookie has more zing. You will have tiny fibers sticking out of the cookies, which doesn't bother me too much - I think it's a good trade-off for the flavor. If using the root, use 1 1/2 to 2 T

Beat w/mixer molasses, oil, brown sugar & egg (or egg replacer) until well blended. Add grated ginger if using root.

Mix flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger (if using ground dry ginger) & cloves.  Stir into molasses mixture, then beat until well blended.

Divide dough in half, gather into a ball, then form into a disk.  Wrap each disk in plastic wrap & freeze for 1 hour or chill in refrigerator overnight. 

Remove dough from bag.  On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each disk to about ¼ inch thick.  With lightly floured cookie cutters, cut out cookies.  Place about 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 9 min; if using parchment paper, cook for 10 min. 

Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. 

Enjoy & 5 more days to go...

How about Homemade Applesauce?

It's simple - I promise!

I had 6 apples that were given to me by a neighbor - they weren't fresh off of the tree, 

but I still appreciated them & thought I would go ahead & juice them...

... that is until the temperatures dropped to 30 degrees - 

a perfect snowy wintry night here in northern Utah.  

So I decided to make good ol' applesauce - 

what a fragrant aroma & special sweetness brought to my kitchen. 

So, I peeled. 

Then sliced with my special apple slicer. 

Looking back to 7th grade home economics class - this was the 1st recipe we used & I've always been a fan ever since!

I asked my daughter what her 1st recipe was in her class - she told me No Bake Cookies. What do you remember making? 

There they are scrumptious-looking, right, you can just taste the sweetness or tartness.

At this point, you could change your mind & make an apple pie, but I prefer simple tonight.

If you like, you can add a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice. (I usually don't)  

I could individually slice each segment, but that's lots of unnecessary work, so instead, I'll use my handy/dandy hand-chopper. 

This will provide small dices of apple that will cook down rather quickly. 

This is just a interior look at the diced apples for you. 

Place in pot (of course), & add a good sprinkling of cinnamon.

For 6 apples I use about 1/2 t. Also add about an 1/8 c of water. This will vary depending on the apples. Sometimes I just use a few tablespoons of water - sometimes, I'll use up to 1/2 c. 

The first time you make applesauce, you may want to go with 1/2 c water just to be sure. You can always strain off the excess, or uncover & let the extra evaporate. 

 Cover & cook at a slow simmer, about 20 minutes.

Of course you can leave the apples in larger chunks, but I like to use my smasher to break down the chunks even more. 

I do leave a variety of sizes though, just to make it a bit more appetizing & to give it a more home-cooked look. 

If you like, you can mush to a puree too, especially if you're serving a little one.

So, I hear you asking me, "What about sugar?" Well, I don't use any - I think the apples are plenty sweet for me. 

I remember once when I was making jam. At the beginning, I thought the jam was pretty tasty, but decided to add fructose for others. I seem to have just kept adding & adding & adding more fructose, not really knowing when enough was enough. Looking back I really believe less is more.

You can make applesauce with even one apple if you like - it's worth it even or especially if you're cooking for yourself! You're worth it!!!

A special side-note: Back in 2003 I attended the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee. I stayed at a small bed & breakfast. The owner was this very special older woman who would fix breakfast for us. Every morning, before we rose, I could smell the apple aroma in her kitchen. She would simply slice up apples, blanch them in water & serve, slightly softened - delicious & one memory that will stay with me forever! 

Peace & Holiday Warmth,

Marcy Hope Williams