One of my favorite meals growing up was lasagna. The cheesy and saucy goodness had me going for seconds and thirds. I still feel the same about lasagna, but this time around I have a guilt-free version that leaves me so energized that I can continue with my very busy day (instead of going into a food coma).
I also took the opportunity to sub in walnuts instead of the usual cashews or almonds in this cheeze to up my Omega-3 intake. It's important to balance our omegas as most people in the U.S. are largely out of balance. It is important to our health and is fairly easy to correct when we become cognizant of our intakes.
I also took the opportunity to sub in walnuts instead of the usual cashews or almonds in this cheeze to up my Omega-3 intake. It's important to balance our omegas as most people in the U.S. are largely out of balance. It is important to our health and is fairly easy to correct when we become cognizant of our intakes.
For the "pasta"
1 very large zucchini
Using a mandolin, or a thick vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini lengthwise to get your pasta for the layers in the lasagna. Sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt and gently coat each slice. Set in a colander to drain the excess water. When it is drained you can gently squeeze out the excess water and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside until you're ready for this masterpiece.
Omega-3 Ricotta Cheeze
1/2 cup walnuts, soaked overnight
1/4 cup water (reserve from soaking water)
2 tablespoons light miso paste
2 tablespoons light miso paste
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 handful of fresh basil
1 handful of fresh oregano
2 cloves of garlic (depending on your love of garlic)
Soak the walnuts overnight, in the fridge (the omega-3 oils go rancid if not kept refrigerated). Chop the basil, oregano and garlic and place in a high speed blender with the walnuts, water, miso and lemon juice. Blend until creamy and/or fluffy. I blended mine with a bit more water so it was creamy, like a spread. I saved some to use in sandwiches instead of mayo ...
Clean Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for an hour (the real kind, not the kind reserved in oil)
2-4 tablespoons of water (reserved soaking water)
1 medium tomato, chopped or 1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 handful of fresh basil
1 handful of fresh oregano
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/8 of red onion, chopped
The sun-dried tomatoes should be just that: sliced tomatoes dried naturally. As such, they will be rather stiff and hard to blend. So soak them in a bowl with water for about an hour. Place everything in a high speed blender and blend until chunky, or to the texture you like. Use the soaking water for the tomatoes to adjust the consistency.
I'd recommend pouring the sauce into a strainer and place over a bowl. Let that drain while you work on everything else. This will allow the water to release so the overall lasagna is less watery.
I'd recommend pouring the sauce into a strainer and place over a bowl. Let that drain while you work on everything else. This will allow the water to release so the overall lasagna is less watery.
Spinach-Basil layer
1 food-processor full of fresh spinach
1 handful of fresh basil
Place the spinach and the basil in a food processor and pulse until it is chopped, but not too mushy. Take everything out and strain either in a nut-mylk bag (cheese cloth) or a strainer to remove excess water.
Assembly
Once everything is ready use a baking dish to assemble. I used a medium sized dish as I am preparing this for just myself. If you are using a traditional sized baking dish you may need to adjust your portions, increasing them by 2x.
Cover the bottom of the baking dish with zucchini slices. Dollop on the ricotta in a thin layer and spread until even. Do the same with the marinara. Sprinkle some of the spinach-basil mixture over the top. Continue with this layering pattern until you cap it off with your last pieces of zucchini. Then put a layer of the ricotta and a layer of the marinara sauce and swirl it together so it gets the nice "just-baked" look.
Place in a dehydrator for an hour or two at 140 degrees to get the top nice and crust-like and to warm it through.
SOO yum. You can really taste all of the fresh ingredients in every bite. And non-vegan approved !!!
One note on the fresh process, though: as with all fresh fruits and vegetables, the ingredients contain a lot of water. This is best when served immediately after it is warmed so the ingredients don't release too much water and make a soppy mess. If that is the case, simply absorb the water with a clean napkin.
