Lasagne- Gluten Free Chicken and Basil with Zucchini, Eggplant and Capsicum

Lasagne- Gluten Free Chicken and Basil with Zucchini, Eggplant and Capsicum

Inspired by:

The fact that I live in Italy but I have not yet tried making Lasagne. . .nor have I been able to eat it here yet.
White cheese chicken lasagna recipe on allrecipes.com

Why?

We had people coming for dinner. . .I know every host who has ever made money on a lifestyle program on TV always advises never to experiment when people are coming to dinner, but I like living on the edge.

I used:

12 Gluten Free Lasagne Sheets (250g)

175g dairy free margarine/butter (separated into 125g and 50g)

2Tbs chopped shallots

3 diced garlic cloves (separated into 1 and 2 cloves)

½ cup gluten free flour

3tps salt (separated into 1tsp and 2 tsp)

2 cups water

2 ½ cups rice milk (separated into 1 ½ cups and 1 cup)

300g non dairy cheese, grated (I used sheep’s cheese as it is just cows dairy that I have issues with)

1Tbs dried oregano

7 Tbs dried basil

½ tps black pepper

4 Tbs fresh chopped basil

3 Tbs vegetable oil

900g uncooked chicken breast/fillet cubed

½ zucchini thinly sliced

½ small eggplant thinly sliced

½ capsicum thinly sliced

What I did:

Find 30cm X40cm dish, and set aside (or two 15 X 25cm dishes worth.).

If you have not chopped your vegetables or grated the cheese, do it now!

In a small bowl combine 4 Tbs fresh chopped basil with 1 Tbs of vegetable oil and 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Stir and set aside.

On high to medium heat, and in a large saucepan, cook chicken pieces until browned and then add two cups of water, 2 tsp of salt, and 2Tbs of dried basil to the saucepan. 
Continue to cook; stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked all the way through, then remove from heat (turn off element). 
Separate the chicken from the chicken stock/broth by pouring the liquid into another heat proof container, retain both the chicken and the broth.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Over low heat, in a small saucepan, melt 125g dairy free margarine in with chopped shallots and 1 crushed garlic clove, and stir with a wooden spoon. 
When dairy free margarine has melted, add ½ cup gluten free flour and 1tsp salt, continuing to stir to avoid lumps. 
The white sauce mixture should thicken. 
Let the sauce simmer until it boils and then add 1 ½ cups rice milk and the chicken stock/broth, and bring the sauce back to the boil for one minute, stirring occasionally. 
Stir through 100g grated dairy free cheese, and add 1Tbs dried basil, 1Tbs oregano, and ½ tsp black pepper and take off the heat (turn off the element) and set aside.

Prepare gluten free lasagne sheets as per manufacturers guidelines. 
Add 2tbs of vegetable oil to the water to stop the pasta sheets from sticking together.
Once the pasta sheets are boiled (4-5 mins for the ones I used) separate them immediately after cooking to save frustration later.

To assemble the lasagne we now have:

White sauce

1 cup rice milk

Gluten free pasta sheets (ready to go)

4tsp dried basil

Bowl of fresh chopped basil, crushed garlic and oil

Sliced zucchini

Sliced eggplant

Sliced capsicum

Cooked basil chicken

400g non dairy cheese, grated

50g dairy free margarine.

Pour a third of the white sauce in the bottom of the cooking pan, then place a third of the pasta sheets(4) over the top. 
Next make a layer of the chicken pieces on top of the pasta, and then add the fresh basil and garlic mixture on top of the chicken. 
Follow this with an even sprinkling of cheese and a dash of rice milk for moisture. 
Add the next lot (4) of the pasta sheets, followed by the next third of the white sauce. 
Then layer the zucchini pieces and sprinkle with cheese, add 2Tbs of basil and a dash of rice milk. 
The eggplant is the next layer, followed again by cheese and the last 2 Tbs of basil and a dash of rice milk, followed by the capsicum and more cheese. 
Add the last of the white sauce and add the final strips of pasta. 
Sprinkle the top of the lasagne with the last of the cheese. 
Dot slices of the margarine on the top of the lasagne and bake in the oven for 45 mins.

Comments after eating Lasagne!

Everyone loved it. It was delicious! I’m glad there was leftovers so I can keep enjoying it for a bit longer!

If you can’t find dairy free cheese in your area, I would suggest making twice as much of the white sauce, and adding a bit more salt to it. The white sauce has a nice flavor, and I think that even without the cheese, with a little extra white sauce this would make a great flavoursome dish.