Having gone to college in southern New York, I became absolutely infatuated with the bazillions of Greek diners we frequented any chance we got. Pancakes the size of my face…the ginormous pastry display…gobs of butter on EVERYTHING…
And, of course, the Greek food. I was on a moussaka kick at one point–even made MDA’s primal version–but my favorite has always been the delightfully crispy and cheesy spanakopita. Spabakopita…which also happens to be the most Paleo-unfriendly dishes around thanks to the phyllo (which is the best part, duh!) and cheesy goodness.
Having nothing but time on my hands this summer, I finally cracked it. I’ve been obsessed with Cappello’s pasta for a long time, and even more so now that the ingredient list changed to make them 100% Paleo (no more potato starch). While not exactly the flaky crispity crusty phyllo, the lasagna noodles make a perfectly delicious substitute for the shell. Making this baby dairy-free was no problem at all, especially since I’ve been experimenting so much lately with cheese alternatives.
The result was beyond even my expectations. Even my husband–who rolls his eyes every time I tell him we’re having a meatless meal–went back for seconds!
The cauliflower mixture–before mixed with the spinach and all the rest of the ingredients–stands very well on its own as a topping or base for other recipes. I’d like to say it tastes a little like feta cheese…but faux feta or not, it’s great. I’ll probably post the recipe for just that piece in the next couple days.
- 1/2 head cauliflower
- 4 green onions
- 1 t salt
- 1 t black pepper
- 1 t marjoram
- 1 t thyme
- 1 t oregano
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1/2 c chopped Kalamata olives
- 1 t onion powder
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 c coconut milk
- 1 lb frozen spinach
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 package Cappello’s lasagna noodles
- Steam the cauliflower until soft. Place in a food processor with the olive oil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, lemon juice, coconut milk, green onions, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Pulse until you have a rough puree…not as smooth as you’d want for mashed potatoes but more smooth than cauliflower “rice.”
- Heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high in a skillet. Add the garlic and onion, then saute until soft.
- Add the spinach, sautéing until excess water has evaporated off.
- Mix the spinach mixture with the cauliflower mixture, along with the olives.
- In a baking dish, spread a thin layer of the spinach-cauliflower mixture.
- Lay a layer of lasagna noodles on top.
- Pour the rest of the spinach mixture on top of the noodles.
- Top with one more layer of noodles.
- Cover tightly with foil, and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
- Uncover, brush some olive oil all over the top, and return to the oven for 10 more minutes.
xxx
