No-Noodling Around Vegetable Lasagna

This is, hands down, the best lasagna I have ever had.

"Wow, that is a bold statement!", you might say.

Yes, it is.  And I mean it.

You will be even more surprised to learn that this lasagna does not have cheese or pasta noodles, but it makes no difference.  The entire dish is made out of plant ingredients and it is seriously one of my best dishes yet.

First of all, let me give major kudos to YumUniverse for this recipe.  It is a gluten-free, dairy-free vegetable lasagna that will change your lasagna-eating world forever.  Note:  it will take some time to prepare, so be forewarned.  I think next time I do this I will make the "dairy-free ricotta cheese" and bake the sweet potato a day in advance.  That way, I only have to slice vegetables and prepare the lasagna layers on the day when I want to eat it.

Since this recipe involved a new element to me (dairy-free ricotta cheese) I opted to follow the recipe exactly rather than modify anything.    Please refer to YumUniverse for the recipe.  But, if you want to feel better about your lasagna-making skills because they do not look as pretty as her pictures, then by all means, keep scrolling down to see my version of the process. Delicious can be pretty....but it is not always necessary!

First step: soak the cashews.  You can read more about this process on YumUniverse, but all you need to know here is that you cover raw cashews with enough water to keep them immersed.  Add a pinch of salt, and let soak for 2 hours.  Drain off the water (do not retain the water).

Cashews do not need nearly as long as other nuts do.  For this recipe, you need 2/3 cups of soaked cashews (measure after soaking).  They will increase in size during soaking, which is not an exact science.  I suggest soaking just slightly less than you need, or measuring 2/3 cups beforehand, and then saving the remainder for another use.  They will keep for a few days in a sealed container in the fridge.

Step 2:  Bake a large sweet potato.  Just wash it, pierce it with a fork or knife (this is strangely satisfying and stress-relieving after a long day at work!), wrap in foil with a tablespoon or two of water, and stick in a 350-375 degree oven for 50-60 minutes.  It does not have to be mushy-done, as it will be going back in the oven once assembled.  It is easier to slice if it is not mushy, too.

Step 3:  Slice your veggies.  This includes the bell pepper, asparagus, squash, and zucchini.  I think other veggies would work well--mushrooms, onions, broccoli, etc.

When it comes to the squash and zucchini, they need to be sliced in very thin strips.  I do not have a mandolin slicer, and boy was I sorry!  Mental note: get one before making this again.  It is not that it cannot be done by hand.  I did it.  It just took forever and my slices were not always even.  But they were close.

Step 4:  Once you slice everything up, the cashews are soaked, and the sweet potato is baked, you can make the "ricotta cheese".  Throw all the "ricotta cheese" ingredients in a blender or Ninja and blend until creamy.  It should be like a slightly thinner hummus consistency.  (Don't worry, the agar agar makes it thicken up after it cooks then cools).  Note:  I found the agar agar at Whole Foods for a measly $7 for that little bag.  Sheesh!

Step 5:  Start layering!  Tomato sauce on bottom of pan, followed by alternating rows of squash and zucchini strips.  Then slices of sweet potato alternating with "ricotta cheese".

Then add the bell pepper strips and asparagus pieces.  Cover that layer with fresh spinach leaves.

Add a layer of tomato sauce on top of the spinach, then just keep layering in that order (and adding any other veggies you want in between) until you get to the top.  My dish is larger than the one used on YumUniverse, so I only repeated layers 3 times.  Then spread around more veggies on top and add chopped fresh basil.

Here is what it looked like before going in the oven:

 And here is what it looked like after an hour bake at 325 degrees:

I could not wait to dive in!  But, in an effort to diligently follow the recipe (for once!) I waited almost a full hour later to allow the "ricotta cheese" to set.

Even after an hour it still did not hold its shape beautifully, but after a night in the fridge, it was much more willing to behave.

Either way, let me just tell you.  This lasagna begs you to eat it over and over again!  I shared some with some friends on the second night and they were amazed.  All the right flavors and textures and none of the fat, sugar, and added calories of traditional lasagna.  I will be keeping this one in my back recipe pocket, friends.  And I recommend you do, too!  

Don't let the artichokes intimidate you

Artichokes may look intimidating at the market.  All prickly and big and confusing, right?  How on earth do I cook this thing?  Well, let me tell you.

Steam it.  Peel it.  Dip it.  Eat it.

Repeat.

Artichokes are so super easy, delicious, and nutritious.  They are a fun way to get people together for dinner and surprisingly low in calories but high in flavor, nutrients, and filling-ness.

A simple how to:

Pick artichokes that are uniform in green color, leaves are tightly pulled in, and are heavy for their size. Rinse the artichoke and very carefully cut off the top inch or two.  Then, using kitchen shears, cut each leaf/petal to remove the prickly thorn.  The end result will look like this (don't be jealous of my enormously enormous artichoke here):

I like to squeeze lemon juice over the top of the artichoke and slice fresh garlic to press in between the petals before steaming.  Then, using a steamer, place the artichoke stem side up in the steamer to cook for 25-30 minutes or so, or until the bottom can be easily pierced with a fork.  The artichoke will turn a slightly brownish/duller green color and the petals will easily come off when pulled.

There are many different sauces you can make to dip your petals in. Lemon butter, peppercorn ranch, garlic mayo, etc.  I have tried two different ones recently and think I found my new favorite.  The one pictured above is not that favorite one, unfortunately.  Above is a mixture of Amande almond yogurt  (which I really like), creole mustard, minced garlic, lemon juice, cayenne, salt, and pepper.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't wow-knock-my-socks-off good, either.

The one I tried the next night was a balsamic vinaigrette which was much tastier.  3 tbsp good balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, splash of olive oil (could be omitted), 1 clove minced garlic, fresh squeezed lemon juice, coarse salt, and pepper.  Super delicious and low fat and low cal, which is a bonus.  (modified from this recipe).

Once you scrape away all the "meat" from the petals, you are left with the ugly choke.  Scoop it out so you can get on to the good stuff!

Artichoke heart with the prickly, hairy choke.

Scoop all that middle stuff out until you are left with the tender heart.

All scooped out and ready to be devoured.

Nom, nom, nom.  Slice that up into bite sized pieces and dip in your sauce and enjoy!

Fun with purple cauliflower

Yes, purple cauliflower.  Have you had it?  Have you seen it?  Look how pretty it is!  How could you not want to eat it up??

Not to mention look how big it is.  And locally grown, in fact :)  If you like regular cauliflower, you will like purple cauliflower.  You can use it in all the same ways as the boring ol' white, it is just slightly more delicate (i.e. shave a minute or two off the cooking time).  Here I ate it three different ways (over three different days, of course).

Method 1:   mashed purple cauliflower = delicious faux mashed potatoes. Served aside roasted brussels sprouts and sauteed turnip greens.   Needless to say, I didn't finish that humongous portion of mashed cauliflower on the plate below (what were my eyes thinking?!?).

Just steam (or roast) cauliflower florets until tender and add to a food processor (such as my new Ninja! yeah! I make everything in it these days) along with a clove or two of garlic, splash of vegetable broth (or water or almond/other non-dairy milk), pinch of coarse salt, fresh ground pepper, and any other seasonings.  Rosemary is a good option.  Oh yeah...I added some tofu to the food processor to give it extra oomph and it helped make it extra filling and denser, closer to actual mashed potato consistency.

The brussels sprouts were just tossed in vegetable broth and minced garlic then roasted in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until they got slightly charred on the outsides.  The greens were thoroughly washed, chopped, and sauteed with vegetable broth and garlic.  Look at this before-picture to see how much they shrunk down during cooking:

Method 2:  Toss purple cauliflower florets in a vegetable soup.  Especially if you have some homemade vegetable broth that is just begging to be used!  It adds a fun color to an otherwise dreary looking (but delicious tasting) soup. Toss them in close to the end so they maintain their texture.  If you overcook them they will disintegrate easily into the hot soup broth.

Method 3:  Roasted purple cauliflower with garlic and herbs.  This was my favorite way to make it.  Toss lightly in vegetable broth or olive oil along with your other favorite veggies-mine happen to be broccoli and brussels sprouts-and roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or so.

Before going in the oven

Check them for done-ness (not too mushy and starting to get slightly brown) and turn the oven on broil if they are cooked well enough but still need an extra boost to get that roasted effect.

 After roasting

Sprinkle with coarse salt and fresh ground pepper and you have yourself a satisfying plant-strong dinner, my friend!

Animal Free 2013!

Happy New Year, everyone!  My BFF and I (yes, I'm saying BFF) made a pact to start the new year off right after we made one or two (or many) bad choices over the holidays.  While I remained mostly plant strong and healthy, I did stray a bit.  However, I am ready to be back on track and living plant strong.

We started the new year off by going to a Bikram yoga class at Yogani on New Year's Eve and a Kundalini yoga class at Yoga Village on New Year's Day.  I loved the Bikram class, it's my favorite (although this particular one was not hot enough...and I never thought I'd say that!).  The Kundalini?  Well, it was....interesting.  I enjoyed the peacefulness of it but I do not think the chanting is for me.  I did, however, really enjoy the gong meditation at the end.  If you haven't tried it, it's worth going at least once for the experience.  I set my intention at the beginning of the class not only for my practice but for the whole year.  I mentally set the stage for a healthy, positive year ahead!

Then we hit up the juice bar at Earth Origins Market.  It was refreshing and nutritious (carrot, kale, ginger, celery).  Admittedly, we weren't filled up by just the juice so we also got big salads for lunch.  This kickstarted our year off with a healthy bang...which we both needed!  And of course on new year's day I made vegan black eyed peas, cabbage, and cornbread (I cut down on the oil in this one, though!) and made three wishes/goals for the year.  I'm not going to tell you what they are now (what fun is that?), but as I accomplish them I'll let you know :).

Throughout that first week of 2013 I made the pumpkin stew for my family, had green smoothies every morning for breakfast (1/2 banana, lots of kale, silken tofu, almond milk, flax seed), and got in an Orange Theory workout and played tennis with my brother.  I must say, it was nice to enjoy the 70 degree weather in FL, especially when it was gloomy and cold in NOLA!

Anyway, fast forward to now and I'm back on the blog and wanting to share with you my first experience with making vegetable broth.  I have been freezing all of my vegetable scraps over the last month or so.  This includes celery, carrots, onions, green onions, kale stems, broccoli stems, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, pumpkin insides, and probably plenty of other stuff.  So I threw it all in a big huge pot with a few bay leaves and fresh ground black pepper, brought it to a boil and then let it simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Stage 1: Throw frozen veggie scraps in a pot with a lot of water.  Add 2 bay leaves and fresh ground black pepper.

Stage 2:  Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours.

Stage 3:  Strain veggies through a sieve or colander.  I don't have a sieve and I didn't mind if my broth was cloudy so I just used a colander.  I ladled big spoonfuls of the veggies into the colander and squeezed out all the juicy yuminess inside, then poured the rest of the broth through the colander. These are all the veggies after (the volume was 3 times smaller than when they went in!)

Stage 4:  Finished broth.  Look how much it made!

Here's another picture so you can really see that deep brown orangish color. While I intended to make this broth then make a veggie soup with it for dinner, I ended up drinking two big mugfuls by itself because it was so good! The jalapeno gave it a slight kick and the depth of flavor was enhanced by the variety of vegetables and the pumpkin.  I really think any veggies could work, although other blogs have advised against things like cabbage, broccoli, etc.  So save those veggie scraps!!!

And I'll leave you on this note.  This is my salad for lunch tomorrow.  Yes, it really is that big!  That's a gallon sized Ziploc bag and it's filled with red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, kale, spinach, cilantro, carrots, celery, red onion, flax seed, and fresh black pepper.  I'll top it with a dressing of vinegar, creole mustard, and a splash of olive oil right before eating and shake it up in a tupperware (I find it easier and less messy to shake in the container, but you could do it in the bag, too).  And voila!

Random shout out:  I went to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and ate at Jiko, an African restaurant.  If you ask your server, you will be delighted to know they have a whole separate vegetarian menu that was absolutely delicious!  I wish I could remember what it was called, but I got an awesome couscous with roasted veggies and a spiced sauce that was so good...all the meat eaters couldn't keep their forks out of my plate :)  And all of the appetizers and desserts were amazing, too!  Apps were vegan, desserts were not....oh well, it was the holidays and I'd say that meal was at least 90/10 anyway!

P.S. A traditional New Year's meal can, in fact, be made vegan!  Deliciously vegan and served to vegan-skeptics, I might add.  Vegan cornbread (modified from here, using much less oil), black eyed peas, and boiled cabbage and potatoes.  I'm set on my good luck for the year, how about you?