Spanakopita Lasagna (Gluten-free/Dairy-Free)

One of my daughter's favorite treats are those Amy's spinach pie pockets.

Since going gluten-free she hasn't been able to enjoy one.  And now since becoming vegan, even the occasional cheat for one is not an option.  So, veering towards baking as much as I can in the winter, I decided to look up some alternate recipe options.  I stumbled across a recipe for "Spinach Pie Lasagna" and thought, "well, there's a perfect fit!"  A few minor tweaks to make it entirely vegan and we were all set. 
It's part Italian, part Greek and a little bit of French thrown in there too!

~And as an added bonus: this recipe is actually three-in-one! The filling can be used for actual spinach pies should you wish, the feta used in other dishes (on pizza, in a salad?) and the sauce atop a favorite pasta dish.  All options, all up to you! 


One of the signature ingredients in a classic spanakopita (spinach pie) is the feta cheese.  If there's a vegan feta cheese on the market, I don't know about it.  If there is, buy yourself a package.  But if you're like me and limited to vegan options at your disposal, this recipe for faux feta from La Dolce Vegan will do nicely. The only catch is that for best tastiest results you will need to prepare your "cheese" the day before (or at least an hour prior to) making your lasagna.  

Faux Feta Cheese (a la Sarah Kramer)

Ingredients

·         ½ lb. tofu, firm - cubed or crumbled

       2 tablespoons olive oil
      2 tablespoons water

          ¼ cup red wine vinega
1 tsp. salt

      ½ tablespoon dried basil
   ¼ tsp. dried oregano
 ¼ tsp. dried dill

         ¼ tsp. black pepper

On the day:

Mix all of your cheese ingredients together and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour before using.

*Also, you may wish to take out your spinach ahead of time to allow it to thaw.

Another vegan alternative in this recipe that requires a bit of pre-preparation are your eggs.

You will need the equivalent of one egg:

Chia are my favorite:

1 tablespoon of chia seed mixed into 3 tablespoons of water.  Allow to sit in the fridge for 15 minutes.

While your eggs sit, let’s move onto our filling, shall we?

Spinach Filling*

Ingredients:

·         2 packages (8-10oz each) of frozen organic cut spinach  (thawed)

·         1 tablespoons of olive oil

·         ¼ cup of finely diced sweet onion

·         ¼ cup of diced green onion

·         1-3 tbsp. of fresh pressed garlic

·         1 tsp. sea salt

·         1 chia egg

In a medium pan, heat your olive oil.

Toss in your garlic.  Then sweet onion, cook until transluscent. 

Add your spinach to the pan, and give it a good stir.  Once it is heated through, toss in your green onions.  Remove from the heat and set aside.
Once the mixture has cooled a bit, stir in your chia egg and about 1/2 cup of your faux feta crumbles.

Next up is a tasty bechamel sauce I came up with for a separate dish a few years back.

Creamy Bechamel Sauce:

Ingredients:

    ½ quart (or 2 cups) soy or almond milk

1 cup of faux chicken broth
3 tbsp. of olive oil

      ¼ cup of gluten-free flour 
1 tsp. sea salt/pepper

     2 tbsp. of nutritional yeas

    2 tbsp of garlic powder

   1 cup of vegan Daiya mozzarella shreds

In a medium sauce pan, over low heat, heat your olive oil.  Whisk in your flour a little at a time. It will make a paste. Once fully incorporated, add in your milk a little at a time, whisking to mix fully. 

Continue to heat over low –medium heat only. After the entire contents of your milk have been added, pour in JUST  ½ CUP your broth using the same method. 

Next add in your seasonings and finally your shreds. Continue to stir until the cheese shreds are fully melted into the sauce.

Your sauce should be creamy and slightly sticky.  Should you need to thin it out, pour in your remaining ½ cup of chicken broth a bit at a time until you reach pourable consistency.

To assemble your lasagna, you will need:

One package of oven-ready gluten-free lasagna pasta

and all of the ingredients above.

Spread a thin layer of your sauce in a 9x4 glass pan.

(shown with the added ingredients of ricotta and mozzarella cheeze )

Lay out as many noodles as can fit in your pan.

Top with the spinach mixture.

Then a bit of sauce.
~and if you wish, a bit of tofu ricotta and mozzarella cheeze (as shown above)~

Another layer of noodles.

Again the Spinach mixture
Then sauce until you've completed three or four layers.
Top your final layer with sauce and toppings of your choice

A FEW SUGGESTIONS:

Julienned spinach or fresh basil, perhaps some more mozarella shreds or a healthy dose of vegan parmesan. 

Bake in a 425 degree preheated oven for a half an hour or until heated through.

Buon Appetito   Kali Orexi    Bon Appetit   Enjoy

*This dish is delicious as is but should you wish to add another layer in between, check out my recipe for an easy vegan ricotta filling here.