Monday, April 1, 2013

Spring Green Lasagna! GF, V, SCD, BED!


Hey Happy Tummies!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend!



I’ll tell you what: it was a little strange for me this year. It was the first Easter I didn’t spend with my family. Since I was just home 2 weekends ago, and am going to be home again at the end of April, we decided to forego another trip.



But it was still a great holiday. I went to the Easter Vigil last night, and tonight, I made a beautiful dinner!!

I made a Spring Green Lasagna! Layers of zucchini noodles, alternating with basil and broccoli cream and roasted asparagus!



It was so incredibly tasty, and beautiful to boot!

And it’s gluten free, vegan, Body Ecology Diet and Specific Carb Diet friendly. And Paleo!



Here’s what you need: (serves 1)

1 zucchini, sliced carefully (lengthwise) on a mandolin
6 asparagus spears, ends trimmed
1 cup baby spinach

Cream:
1 cup broccoli
1 cup cauliflower
5-7 basil leaves
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Steam your broccoli and cauliflower until tender. Set aside to cool slightly. Carefully slice your zucchini lengthwise into noodles on a mandolin. (use the hand guard!) You’ll need 6 noodles. You can also do this with a knife. Place the noodles on a tin foil-lined, olive oil-sprayed baking sheet. Also place your asparagus on the sheet. Spritz with olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping once, half way through.

Meanwhile, place your cream ingredients into the food processor and process until smooth and creamy. You’ll need to scrape the sides several times.

To assemble, place a bed of spinach on your plate. Place 3 zucchini noodles on the plate. Dollop about 3 Tbsp of the cream on top. Put 3 asparagus spears on top of that. Top the asparagus with another Tbsp of the cream. Repeat, ending with the asparagus. Garnish with fresh basil, or grape tomatoes.
My goodness. What a treat this meal was! It tasted like spring on a plate with the delicate asparagus, and bright and fresh basil! The broccoli and cauliflower provided the subtle flavor that really let the asparagus be the star of the show.



And the textures were marvelous! The creamy filling with the crisp-tender asparagus was just perfect. And the spinach was the perfect vehicle to pick up any of the extra filling.



This was a wonderful Easter dinner. This just goes to show that even if you’re flying solo, you can still have a fabulous meal!

Need a food processor? Here’s the one I use and LOVE!



No Easter dinner is complete without dessert! Check back later this week for a spectacular dessert! Here’s a hint…..freeze dried strawberries!!! :D

6 comments:

  1. Holy cow, Care. This looks amazing. You really have an artistic eye for plating. I hope I can try this dish sometime.

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    1. Thanks mom! Yeah it was super
      simple to prepare too! I'll make it for you next time I see ku, but I have a feeling you'll want me to make my next cookie recipe instead:)

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  2. What a beautiful dish Caralyn! This is a perfect dinner for Easter and to bring in the spring season. It looks so fresh and vibrant and the green is so beautiful. Great dish! Looking forward to the dessert :)

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    1. Thank you so much Sarah! I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend:) I am so excited that spring is finnnnnally here and that it's asparagus season! Haha although the news just said that we're expecting snow later in the week! What!!? Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. Hi Caralyn, looks delicious. Just to double check the "cream" didn't require any fat? If I wanted to add one what would you suggest, pine nuts? Thanks! Heather

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  4. Hi Heather! Yes, that is correct! Yeah pine nuts would definitely work..or cashews. I'd say, maybe 3 Tbsp. thanks for stopping by! Have a great night!

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Thanks for the comments! They make my day!