I admit – one of my favorite things is to share recipes for bone-healthy versions of “comfort foods” that are typically acidifying. Because I love to show you how easy it is to follow a pH-balanced, bone-friendly diet without having to deny yourself the dishes we all love.
And today, I get to do just that! Normally, those foods are full of acidifying dairy products. But these delicious recipes contain no dairy ingredients at all…and I promise you’ll never miss them.
We’re going to start with lasagna, a dish that’s almost universally loved, and every family seems to have its favorite version…
Vegan Lasagna
This pH-balanced version of an Italian classic is loaded with nutritious vegetables that build your bones.
6 Servings
Ingredients:
- 6 cooked gluten-free lasagna noodles, cut in half (gluten-free or whole-grain pasta works fine)
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- ¾ cup zucchini, sliced
- ½ cup carrot, shredded thick
- ½ cup red bell pepper, chopped
- ½ cup onion, thinly sliced
- Tomato sauce (you can make your own with this recipe)
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ cups vegan ricotta cheese (see recipe below to make your own)
- ¾ cup vegan mozzarella cheese (see recipe below to make your own)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a medium saucepan, sauté the mushrooms, zucchini, carrot, bell pepper, and onion over medium-high heat. After about 5 minutes, stir in the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for approximately 10 minutes.
- Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking pan. Spread half a cup of the vegetable-tomato mixture in the bottom of the pan, and top with 4 lasagna noodle halves. Spread half of the ricotta “cheese” over the noodles, and pour on a cup of the tomato mixture. Add 4 more lasagna noodles and repeat the layers, ending with a topping of the tomato mixture. Sprinkle vegan mozzarella cheese on top and bake, covered, for half an hour.
- Remove cover and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Allow the lasagna to cool for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Vegan Ricotta
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 3 hours (water should be about an inch above the cashews to allow the nuts to swell)
- ½ cup distilled water
- Juice of 1 lemon, or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
Directions:
- Drain the soaked cashews and place them in a blender or food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Blend at high speed until creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Adjust seasonings to taste as you go.
- If you like your ricotta thick, chill it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a couple of hours. This ricotta can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
- ¼ cup raw cashews, soaked in water as in the recipe for vegan ricotta
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Directions:
- Drain cashews and place in a blender or food processor with all the other ingredients. Blend at high speed until completely smooth.
- Pour the blended cashew mixture into a small saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat. The mixture will curdle after about 2 minutes. At that point, reduce the heat down to medium and continue to stir.
- After about 2 more minutes, the mixture should thicken considerably. When it takes on the gooey, stretchy consistency of melted cow’s milk mozzarella, take it off the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Then dollop ¾ cup on top of the lasagna.
Fettuccine Falsefredo
This creamy dish tastes as good as the classic version, but with delicious vegan cheeses. To make this a pH-balanced dish, use spelt pasta or serve with cooked vegetables or salad (or both!) on the side.
Makes 3 Servings
Ingredients:
- 9 oz uncooked gluten-free fettuccine
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
- 4 to 6 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (adjust to taste)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ripe avocado
- Vegan mozzarella cheese, to taste
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)
- Black pepper to taste
Directions:
- Cook the fettuccine noodles according to the package directions. While they cook, blend garlic and basil in a blender or food processor until minced. Blend in the lemon juice, olive oil, avocado, and 1 tablespoon water and blend until smooth. Add water if necessary to achieve the thickness you prefer. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place drained, cooked fettuccine back in the cooking pot, and add avocado sauce. Stir until well combined; top with dollops of vegan mozzarella cheese. Serve immediately.
- Note: if you need to make the sauce ahead of time, it will keep up to one day in an airtight container in the refrigerator. But beware that some browning of the avocado may occur.
No-Bake No-Cheese Cheesecake
Serve this scrumptious, dairy-free cheesecake with fresh fruit to make a delicious and satisfying pH-balanced dessert.
Makes 12 Servings
Ingredients for Crust:
- 1 cup pitted dates (soaked in warm water for 10 minutes, then drained)
- 1 cup almonds
Ingredients for Filling:
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons almond milk (or your favorite milk substitute)
- 1/3 cup honey or stevia to taste
- ¼ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Directions for Crust:
- Process dates in a blender or food processor until the dates are minced and the mixture forms a ball. Remove the blended dates and set them aside, then place almonds in the blender. Process until nuts are a cornmeal-like consistency. Then add the dates, processing until the mixture is dough-like. It should be cohesive when you squeeze it between your fingers. If it falls apart and seems too dry, add a few more dates and process.
- Lightly oil a muffin tin or use muffin papers. Place about 1 tablespoon of crust mixture into each muffin cup and press it down firmly with a spoon. You can also use the bottom of a small cup or glass. Place in freezer to allow the crust to get firm.
Directions for Filling:
- Blend all filling ingredients in a blender until very smooth. If needed, add a few more drops of lemon juice or almond milk to get a smoother consistency.
- Remove the muffin tin from the freezer and divide the filling mixture evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Cover and freeze for 4 to 6 hours, or overnight.
- You can eat these frozen, or if you prefer, soften them up before serving by letting them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Either way, they are delicious topped with your favorite alkalizing fruit.
- If you have leftover cheesecakes, keep them in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Eating Your Way To Bone Health Can Be Delicious, Creative, And Fun
As you can see with today’s recipes, there are all kinds of ways to make scrumptious dishes that do not harm your bones. In fact, the ingredients in today’s recipes are chock-full of bone-building nutrients that help renew your bones.
And that’s exactly what “eating your way to stronger and healthier bones” means. It’s not about what you can’t eat; it’s about creatively using bone-healthy foods to prepare delicious meals, and substituting less healthy foods with bone-smart ingredients.
The Save Our Bones cookbook, Bone Appétit, makes preparing foods that nourish your bones an enjoyable experience. The recipes include dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, and each section features Quick Picks that take 20 minutes or less to prepare.
Unlock 200+ Delicious Bone-Building Recipes!
Discover over 200 mouth-watering bone healthy recipes for breakfast, smoothies, appetizers, soups, salads, vegetarian dishes, fish, and plenty of main courses and even desserts!
Bone Appétit has full-color photos and a clear explanation of pH-balanced eating. Plus it also includes the complete list of Foundation Foods, which are the foods that contain the highest levels of bone-building minerals and vitamins.
I’d love to hear about your experience with today’s recipes! And if you’ve ever changed up a recipe to make it bone-smart, please share with the community by leaving a comment below.
Till next time,
Comments on this article are closed.
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Vivian, I thought cashews were acidfying ?
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Computer address changed. Computer crashed. Lost a lot. I lost my Green Horizons soup recipe and it was so good. Does anyone have it? It is not in The Bones Book but one Vivian just gave us I think.
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Dear Vivian Goldschmidt,
I really appreciate all you do for us. Do you or anyone know it vanilla coconut milk is good for our bones? Haven’t been able to find plain. It’s very low calorie.
Also, would talking DHEA help? I’ve been very tired and don’t know why since I have weened myself of sleeping pills.
Thank you. Vivian O -
I love your information and recipes. It is wxactly what I have been looking for to reverse osteoporosis naturally. Thankyou!!!
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Love your recipes! So exciting to be able to eat deliciously and know its good for my bones! Appreciate all the research and thought that goes into each recipe. Thank you! Thank you!
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These recipes look super delicious, can’t wait to try them!
So appreciated.
Thanks so much Vivian for all your help! -
Thanks for the thought behind these recipes. I’m allergic to nuts so I have such limitations with so many of these healthy recipes.
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Hi Louise, I have been making nut and seed cheese for the past few years. You can substitute sunflower seeds for the cashew. It will be a little grey in color so you can add some carrot or pepper to give it a more cheesy color. And I agree with Rosemarie about the nutritional yeast…. does give recipes a cheesiness:)
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I interned in vegan cooking. We made a vegan lasagna with tofu. You use nutritional yeast because it has a cheesy taste mixed with the tofu. I’d check online for vegan lasagna with tofu.
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Thanks so very much! I have been trying to follow a Paleo/AIP food plan for the past 6 months and have really been missing dairy! I plan to try these recipes ASAP!
Vivian,
It would be very helpful if you had an actual hard copy of the recipes to purchase. Would you consider making one?
Thank you.