Did you know the people in Iceland love lasagna? I had no idea.  I have been invited to go to Iceland to share a healthy cooking school and cook for one of their camp meetings.  So I am learning about Icelandic food.

I have decided to show them some fun and easy ways to substitute meat and dairy with healthier alternatives. Two of the things we are going to make are lasagna and stuffed shells.  Both have the same ingredients but look very different.  So you can either make these shells or layer it like lasagna. It’s really up to you!

Stuffed Shells

• 1 box jumbo shells
• 4 cups tomato sauce
• 1 recipe Tofu Ricotta (recipe below)
• ¼ cup non-dairy Parmesan cheese (optional)
  

1.     Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2.     Cook jumbo shells according to the package instructions.

3.     Ladle 1½ cups of tomato sauce into the bottom of the pan.

4.     Fill each shell with a spoonful of tofu ricotta and place in the pan on top of the sauce.

5.     Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan, if using.

6.     Cover with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour.

Makes 8 servings

Tofu Ricotta 

• 2 packages (14 ounces) water-packed tofu, firm or extra-firm
• 1 package (8 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed and drained (optional)
• 1 cup soy sour cream
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup cane juice crystals or other sweetener
• 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
• ¾ teaspoon onion powder
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder

1.     Drain water from tofu and wrap tightly in 2 clean dry dishtowels and let sit for 20-30 minutes, to remove excess moisture.

2.     In a large bowl, mash tofu with a potato masher or your hands.

3.     Add remaining ingredients to tofu and mix well. Add additional salt or sweetener to taste.

TIP: Be sure to remove all excess water from the spinach or your Tofu Ricotta will turn green.