Another installment in Dawn Kiehl-Beals Sweet Freedom: Living Allergen Free Series. I have personally eaten her lasagna and it is excellent. I don't have any food allergies but I enjoyed this recipe as if it was just "regular" food. Enjoy!
Happy New Year! January has come in with a roar. Cold, snow and for me, cravings for comfort foods. It used to be that a diagnosis of gluten intolerance meant having to give up many of my wintertime favorites. Heavier dishes filled with flour and dairy, sauces and starches. But not anymore! With today’s easy access to alternative grains and dairy replacements, wintertime means spending time in my kitchen up to my elbows in dough.
Maybe you’ve been missing some of your comfort foods too. That’s why I decided to share some of my favorites with you during the month of January. The days may be short and dark but your kitchen can be warm and filled with mouth-watering aromas. Gluten free flours are actually easier to work with when making dough than the traditional options. Because there’s no gluten, you can’t overwork or over knead the dough!
One of my favorite cold weather comfort foods is lasagna with my own personal twist: turkey burger, spicy Arrabiata sauce and portabella mushrooms. I don’t eat red meat, so for me, turkey burger is an obvious choice however it’s also a healthy choice! Turkey burger is a lean meat full of protein, minerals and vitamins. One cautionary note, avoid turkey burger that is made with the skin and dark meat as it adds both fat and calories.
Arrabiata is the Italian word for angry. In this case angry is the style of the sauce because of the heat of spicy chili peppers. The sauce’s key ingredients are tomatoes, garlic and red chili peppers cooked in olive oil. If you have the time and want to make your lasagna totally from scratch try my easy Arrabiata Sauce recipe. If you’re pressed for time, many of the better pasta sauce lines include Arrabiata.
I love mushrooms, any kind, prepared anyway. But portabella mushrooms are my all time favorites. Portabella (or Portabello) mushrooms are actually large brown crimini mushrooms. These thick, meaty mushrooms have a rich, earthy flavor. They are full of protein, fiber and iron and make a perfect choice for vegetarian lasagna or other meatless dishes.
Although these ingredients are what make my lasagna special, it’s the noodles and “cheese” that make it a comfort food. To create my noodles, I use an Egg Noodle recipe and what is fast becoming one of my most used kitchen appliances, a pasta press. You can always use pre-packaged gluten free lasagna noodles but if you have the time, make your own fresh noodles. You won’t regret the time and effort it takes when you take that first bite of your homemade lasagna. Don’t worry what your noodles look like. Mine have never come out as long, perfect lasagna looking noodles. If fact, they don’t look like anything you would actually recognize. But because lasagna is a layered dish, all the imperfections are hidden!
Is your mouth watering yet? Then get to Cascio’s and make a one stop shop for all of the ingredients in Dawn’s Spicy Portabella Lasagna!
Arrabiata Sauce
Serves 4-6 portions
Ingredients:
1 peeled medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
1/4-cup olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 pounds very ripe, fresh tomatoes; OR 2 pounds canned crushed tomatoes, drained, all passed through a food mill with the smallest disk, set aside
1 Tablespoon (or to taste) hot red pepper flakes
1-Tablespoon Sea Salt
1 Tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Method In a medium saucepan on medium high heat, add the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic to saucepan and sauté for 5 minutes, till it is soft and begins to brown. De-glaze with the White Wine and reduce till almost dry. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring with a non-metallic spoon.
Egg Noodles
Recipe Yield 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups gluten free flour mix
1 pinch salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2-cup milk (or milk alternative)
1-tablespoon butter (or dairy alternative
Directions:
In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Add the beaten egg, milk, and butter. Mix until all ingredients are absorbed and dough is smooth. Let rest in a covered bowl for 10 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out to 1/8 or 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired lengths and shapes. (Or run dough through lasagna setting on pasta press.) Allow to air dry before cooking. To cook fresh pasta, in a large pot with boiling salted water cook until al dente.
Dawn’s Spicy Portabella Lasagna
Ingredients:
1 recipe Arrabiata sauce or two jars of pasta sauce
½ to one recipe Egg Noodle recipe or one box cooked gluten free lasagna noodles
3 cups mozzarella cheese or dairy free alternative
½ to 1 cup Parmesan cheese or dairy free alternative
2 pounds turkey burger
3 cloves garlic, crushed
5 portabella mushrooms
Directions:
Cleans and slice portabella mushrooms. Cover bottom of skillet with olive oil, cook portabella mushrooms over medium heat until soft when pierced with fork. Drain of any liquid and set aside.
Cook turkey burger with crushed garlic until brown. Drain of any liquid and set aside.
Spray lasagna pan with non stick spray, spoon a layer of Arrabiata sauce over bottom of pan, lay down a layer of noodles, cover with ground turkey, add a layer of portabella mushrooms, cover with a mixed mozzarella and parmesan cheese, repeat layers until dish is full then add a final layer of noodles and cover with sauce. Cover with foil and bake in a 375-degree oven for 25 minutes, take off the foil and bake an additional 25 minutes. Enjoy!
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