If there is one meal that our whole boat agrees on as the family favorite, it would be this one: Lasagna! We break from tradition by substituting rehydrated adzuki beans and soaked nuts for the ricotta filling which gives it a satisfying crunch and texture akin to “meat sauce”. Rice noodles replace traditional wheat based noodles making this meal a gluten-free option that tastes as good as it looks. Try it!

Ingredients:
– One box of Organic Gluten Free, oven ready, Lasagna Noodles
– 2 cups of dried adzuki beans, soaked in 3 cups of water overnight
– 2 cups of your choice of nuts or any combo of the following: walnuts/cashews/almonds/sunflower seeds, soaked in 3 cups of water overnight.
– 4-6 cups of home-made tomato sauce
– olive oil
– 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped (or more to your liking)
– spices (oregano, basil, rosemary)
– Optional grated cheese (parmesan, mozzarella) or your favorite vegan cheese

Directions:
– Drain and rinse 2 – 3 times, the soaked beans and nuts.
– In a food processor, grind both beans and nuts to a coarse texture, not paste.
– Remove from food processor and combine in a bowl, stirring in both eggs. Add spices, salt and pepper to your liking and set aside.
– Have your pan lightly oiled and spread a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom.
– Make three layers the following way : noodles, bean mixture, sauce then spinach. You should have enough for two layers of filling and spinach and three layers of noodles.
– Top off the noodles with a thick layer of tomato sauce and optional grated cheese.
– Cover with foil and bake in a hot 350F oven for about an hour. Set the timer for 50 minutes and cook uncovered (lower the oven temp to 300F) for the last 10 minutes.
– Remove from oven, sprinkle with some more cheese if you like and serve on a plate layered with some of the leftover tomato sauce.

Serve with a simple salad or sautéed vegetables and you have a delicious, healthy, gluten-free meal. Enjoy!!