I have wanted to create a recipe for all the “tofu haters” out there for such a long time – I hope this might just be the one! If you get plenty of good quality protein then I guess you don’t need to be converted but tofu is useful for anyone following a plant-based diet. Preparation is key – you’ve really got to squeeze out excess water. And sure it’s a bit bland but so is pasta – that’s what pesto is for!
| 400g block firm tofu (e.g. cauldron)
1 tsp. olive oil or butter 1 large clove garlic, crushed 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme 2 large field mushrooms, sliced Sea-salt & black pepper
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Pesto:
15g basil leaves 15g baby spinach 30g ground almonds 1 small clove garlic, crushed 3 tbsps. avocado or olive oil ½ tsp. smoked or sea salt 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes or vegetarian parmesan (grated) |
Preheat oven to 200ºC, then drain the tofu on a flat colander; initially you can press down gently to help squeeze out water then put a plate on top, weighted with heavy cookbooks and leave for 15 minutes. Transfer to kitchen paper, wrapping several times and gently pressing until the tofu is dry. Next, using a large, sharp knife, cut the block in half and then cut into thin slices – aim for 5 slices but 4 will be okay. Place each slice onto a fresh layer of kitchen paper.
Warm the olive oil/butter and add the garlic and mushrooms; cook over a gentle heat until the mushrooms are soft. Drain off any liquid from the mushrooms.
Next, add all the pesto ingredients to a mini-processor and blend to a thick paste.
To assemble the lasagne, start with a layer of tofu and spread with a thick layer of the pesto then some sliced mushroom, then tofu and then pesto. Depending on how many slices you cut, finish with a tofu slice or the remaining mushrooms and then bake in the oven for around 10-15 minutes. Serve with steamed greens or a salad.
