Lasagna {gluten, dairy, and soy free}

I love lasagna. Love, love, love it! When I gave up gluten, dairy, and soy, there was a period of time where I mourned the loss of foods I've always enjoyed. I didn't see HOW I would manage to recreate my favorites so that I could eat them. But then my survival instinct kicked in and I got to work.

It's true--this lasagna isn't the same as my old lasagna. There just isn't a way to mimic the melty, gooeyness of cheese baked in the oven. But! This version doesn't give me a tummy ache. Fair trade, I say!

You'll Need:
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1.25 lb. Ground Turkey {it comes packaged in that amount, but 1 lb. would do also}
1 Large White Onion, diced
Several mushrooms, diced
2 Garlic Cloves, smashed
1 Large Can {24 oz.} Tomato Sauce
Salt, Pepper, and Italian Seasoning to taste
Fresh Basil
8-10 GF Lasagna Noodles {boil noodles separately, but only to a chewy consistency--not cooked through, rinse with cool water and set aside}
Nutritional Yeast Flakes
Daiya Mozzarella-Style Shreds

To Make:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with oil. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the diced onion and cook for several minutes. The goal here isn't to brown the onion, but to see it begin to look translucent. Reduce the heat if necessary.
Add the mushrooms and cook another few minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the turkey, and cook through, stirring occasionally to break up the meat. Add a couple of Tablespoons of Italian seasoning to the turkey so that it begins to pick up the flavor.
When the turkey is no longer pink, add the garlic {I use a garlic press and smash the cloves directly into the pan} and stir to combine.
Reduce the heat a bit, and add the tomato sauce, stirring to combine.
Add some additional Italian seasoning, plus a hearty shake of salt and pepper, and stir the mixture.
Add several leaves of chopped, fresh basil.
With a clean spoon, taste the sauce. Add more seasoning to suit your tastes.
When the sauce is done, you're ready to layer your lasagna.
To the bottom of your baking dish, add four or five lasagna noodles.
Spread 1/2 of the sauce mixture of the the noodles.
Sprinkle with a bit of nutritional yeast flakes plus a bit of Daiya.
Repeat the process, adding the rest of the noodles, the rest of the sauce mixture, a bit more nutritional yeast, and some more Daiya.
Bake your lasagna for about 20 minutes, until the Daiya has melted and the edges are bubbly.
Remove lasagna from the oven, and allow it to rest for at least ten minutes. This will help your lasagna stay together a bit more when you serve it.



**By request, if you aren't gluten, dairy, or soy free, feel free to use this recipe by making the following substitutions:**
Use regular lasagna noodles if you aren't gluten free. Follow the directions to cook them to a chewy consistency.
Use standard mozzarella cheese, and perhaps add a modest layer of cottage cheese in the center of your lasagna.
Omit the nutritional yeast flakes, which are used in vegan/dairy free cooking to add a bit of a "cheesy" flavor.