Birthday Bash, Part 1

Birthday Blog *** Denise

So, Denise's birthday is tomorrow (February 11th y'all! - Denise), but decided to celebrate today, as we don't want to start the work week feeling crappy from all the sugar and processed food we are gonna eat for the birthday dinner and dessert.

She wanted 'The Kind Diet' Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pie, though we make it with cashew butter, because Denise is allergic to peanuts (I didn't want Suicide Pie - Denise).


For the dinner, it took her a long while to decide, but went with my lasagna. There is no recipe per se, but I'll tell you how I made this amazing ( if I may say so myself) dish.

Lovely Lasagna (Ooey Gooey Cheesy Lasagna is my name for it - Denise)

- lasagna noodles
- pasta sauce
- canned tomatoes
- 2 onions, diced and divided in half
- 7 garlic cloves, minced and divided in half
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 1 package veggie ground round *opitional
- 1 package firm tofu
- 1 container tofutti cream cheese
- 1 tsp sea salt
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 packages Daiya, one mozzarella and one cheddar

In a medium pan, sauté half the onion and garlic and veggie ground round with the canola oil. When ground round is mostly cooked, add the sautéed mixture to a large bowl and add pasta sauce, canned tomatoes, and spices. Stir it up and set aside.

In a food processor, add tofu, cream cheese, salt, the other half of the onion and garlic, water and lemon juice. Puree till smooth-ish.

Ok, time to assemble.

In a 13 x 9" pan, I like to line mine with parchment paper, as clean up is quicker.

Pop in a single layer of noodles. I use no cook noodles, cuz I don't have time. Then cover over with tomato mixture, then a layer of the tofu mixture and then 1/2 the Daiya. I use half of each.

Then another layer of noodles, more tomato mixture and then tofu layer. Add the last of the cheese. I add a bit of water in each of the corners of the pan, just a bit, to ensure the noodles are cooked.

Bake in oven for about 60 minutes at 350* degrees.

So good!

Denise enjoyed the meal a lot. She kept swearing, a good sign I'd say. (Oh my Fu**, so good - Denise)


What am I gonna have next week? We'll see... (She failed to mention her birthday is the 15th. It's our birthday season! - Denise)

- Melina.  :D