Tweaked from ohsheglows.com
A lasagna sans dairy!? (Gasp.) Yes, instead of mozza, we used a product called Daiya. This is a pseudo stand-in cheese often used by vegans and people sensitive to dairy because unlike most vegan cheeses, that coveted “melty” quality of regular cheese is achievable.
Daiya is devoid of casein, whey, lactose, soy and gluten (common allergens), but that doesn’t mean we think you should be scarfin’ it down by the handful. Our fave foods are whole foods, and being a processed product this faux cheese isn’t an every-day-thing, but then again, neither is (most) lasagna.
Ingredients
4-6 large, flat brown rice lasagna noodles (depending on the size of your pan)
3 cups tomato sauce (homemade or store bought)*
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped (2.5 cups)
2 small zucchini, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 large handful spinach
1 cup of cooked, crumbled tempeh (optional)
lemon basil cheese sauce (optional – recipe included)**
Method
1. Once the tomato sauce and basil cheese have been prepared, start by preheating the oven to 400°F . Then, in a large skillet, saute onion and garlic over low-medium heat until onion is translucent. Add in the rest of the veggies and saute for another 10 minutes. Season the veggies to taste with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
2. While the veggies are cookin’, bring a large pot of water to boil. Boil lasagna noodles for 8 minutes, drain, and rinse immediately with cold water.
3. To layer your lasagna: spread 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of the lasagna dish. Follow with a layer of noodles, half the basil cheese sauce and half the vegetables. Continue with another cup of tomato sauce, another layer of noodles, tempeh crumbles (optional), the rest of the cheese sauce and the rest of the vegetables. Lastly, top with the remaining tomato sauce, and finally a sprinkle of daiya on the top.
4. Cover with tinfoil and prick with fork a few times. Bake 400°F for 40-45 minutes and then remove tinfoil and broil for 5 minutes on medium. Watch closely so you don’t burn the edges. Remove and serve. Will keep in the fridge for at least 3-4 days.
Lemon basil cashew cheese:
1 cup
raw cashews, soaked in water for 30 mins or overnight
2 garlic cloves, peeled
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup vegetable broth or water (or more as needed)
1.5 cups fresh basil leaves (lightly packed)
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
Drain and rinse soaked cashews. Transfer to a food processor along with garlic and process until chopped. Add in the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.
Homemade tomato sauce:
3-4 cups of fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
1-2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
a little oil
basil/ oregano/ parsley (option)
Toss everything in a pot and simmer until tomatoes are well broken down. Blend quickly using an immersion blender or regular blender.
