Showing posts with label raw lasagna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label raw lasagna. Show all posts

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Raw Vegan Veggie Lasagna Stack

Raw Vegan Veggie Lasagna Stack

There are so many ways to make raw vegan lasagna and this is another one of mine.  It is super easy to make and you can change it up to your own liking.  In fact, this is so simple that a recipe really isn't needed, but I have provided it at the end.

Raw Lasagna loaded with veggies

I didn't know where I was going with this one, so I just grabbed a bunch of veggies and went with it.  There are 3 huge layers plus the top, but a couple of them are double stuffed.  Just look at all that raw goodness!

Raw Vegan Meals are far from boring

I text Mark a picture of what I made for dinner (I know, I'm such a tease!) and could hardly wait for him to get home so we could eat.  It was very difficult to not dig into it before he got home.  Okay, so I had a little bite... I had to make sure it was edible, right?

Well, let me just say that the lasagna was our entire dinner.  That is how huge and filling they were.  So if anyone ever tells you that a raw vegan lifestyle is boring... need I say more?

Raw Vegan Veggie Lasagna Stack

This is truly very simple, but here are the basics for my sauce recipe and avocado mash.  The rest of the ingredients I'll list, but there are no measurements as I pretty much winged this one.

Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes - soaked until softened then drain
2 medium tomatoes - roughly chopped
1 medjool date
5-6 basil leaves - chopped
1 long sprig rosemary
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
black pepper - few turns or to taste
pinch sea salt

Process well in food processor.  Mixture will be thick.  I don't like my lasagna wet and soppy, so I strain my sauce.  Put the tomato mixture into a fine to medium mesh strainer, place over bowl and set aside to drain while you prepare the rest of the lasagna ingredients.  You can see how I did it in my other lasagna recipe here.

Avocado Mash
1 avocado
squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp onion powder
black pepper - couple turns
pinch of sea salt

Just like it says - mash the avocado along with all the ingredients.

Zucchini noodles
I used 3 zucchinis - sizes vary so use however many you need

I made the noodles with my mandolin - a bit thicker than usual due to the amount of veggies that I was using.  They soften up like noodles while in the fridge for a couple hours and are so yummy!  Anyway, you can also slice them with a knife if you don't have a mandolin.

Use whatever veggies you would like in your lasagna, but here's what I used in this one from bottom up:

zucchini noodles
sauce
chopped yellow bell pepper
zucchini noodles
sauce
peeled carrots
zucchini noodles (I put a little avocado on it first then put it on top of the carrots to hold in place)
avocado mash
chopped onion
corn
zucchini noodles (I put a little tomato sauce on it first then put it on top to hold veggies in place)
tomato sauce

Serve immediately or at least within a 2-3 hours and enjoy!

Peace☮
Rocki

Friday, April 18, 2014

Raw Vegan Lasagna

Fresh Raw Vegan Lasagna
This is another recipe that I transferred from my old blog

Before I go on about my Raw Vegan Lasagna recipe, I just want to mention that I have included several pictures to show part of the process and how the ingredients look after preparing them.  I just don't want you to feel overwhelmed by all the photos.

Every time I make my lasagna I change it up here and there.  I never measured anything or wrote it down, for most of my recipes actually.  However, after several requests and starting my old blog, plus preparing for my E-books, I figured it would be a good idea.  I have a kitchen full of my recipes. 

I'll skip the part in telling you how flavorful, delicious, mouthwatering and nutritious it is and get straight to the good stuff.  One little note and then I'll zip it.  Under each photo I explain a little about it, but the entire recipe is at the end.

Veggies prepped and ready to make lasagna

This is a little backwards, but this is almost the end result after preparing all the fresh ingredients (except for the zucchinis) in order to make the lasagna.
 
Wilted fresh baby spinach

Sometimes I like to wilt the fresh baby spinach a little in a tasty mixture, but not to the point that it looks entirely cooked.  It will take on a more cooked texture and appearance after the lasagna has chilled for a couple hours.  I start with the spinach to give it time to wilt and set it aside.

Fresh mushrooms take on a "cooked" texture after marinated

Next we wilt the mushrooms.  I slice the fresh mushrooms and place them in a bowl with my wilting mixture.  I like to wilt them to not only take on a cooked appearance, but for taste and texture as well.  I set this aside and proceed with the next step.  (I strain them after they get to the wilting point that I like)

raw vegan "cheese" crumbles

Sometimes I have this "cheese" on hand as it is a great topping for salads, but to show the entire process of this recipe I made some fresh.

fresh tomato sauce

The yummy sauce!  I start with sundried tomatoes that I soak in warm water.  I actually start the recipe by soaking them and proceed from there, but I didn't take a picture of that part. 

Anyway, after making the sauce I put it in a fine mesh strainer while I prepare the rest of the ingredients.  The reason I do this is because I don't want my lasagna to be wet and soppy.

Sliced zucchini using a mandolin

I slice the zucchinis very thin, approximately 1/8", except for about 5 slices as I make them a little thicker and use for the bottom layer.  If you don't have a mandolin, a sharp knife is perfectly fine.

Zucchini pasta noodles

It still amazes me how zucchini can take on a pasta texture in many raw recipes and it is so yummy!
 
organic olives

Occasionally I add clean organic olives in my lasagna, but this time I used them as a garnish.

first layer of lasagna

Now to layer the lasagna.  No, I didn't forget my lasagna dish.  Sometimes I like to make it on this platter as it is easier to cut and serve from.  The choice is yours.

I start with a little sauce on the bottom, then zucchini and more sauce.  You can layer how you wish, but I'll explain how I do it in the recipe at the end.

raw vegan lasagna RAWks!

(waves magic wand) And in a blink of an eye we have raw vegan lasagna! 

veggie filled lasagna

Look at all those yummy layers!  This can be served immediately or put it in the fridge to chill so it can take on a more cooked texture and appearance as in the photo below.


chilled raw vegan lasagna takes on cooked texture

This is what it looks like after chilled for a few hours.  Sometimes I pop it in the dehydrator to warm up a bit, but for the most part we love it right out of the fridge.

And now for my recipe.  Don't let all the steps scare you...once you get everything set out and start going it is a fairly smooth process.  Just allow yourself a little time, it is SO worth it!  I listed everything in order as I make it.  This can be altered in many ways to fit your liking and/or diet.  For instance, you can completely skip the wilting process and use the fresh ingredients as is.  I make plenty lasagna that way too as it's quick and simple .  Hope you enjoy it!

Raw Vegan Lasagna

Step 1 - Soaking Sundried Tomatoes
3/4 cup sundried tomatoes

Soak in warm water and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.  You will use these in the sauce that will be made in Step 6.

Step 2 - Wilting Mixture
1 Tbs EVO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 1/2 Tbs Braggs or other Amino Acids
1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbs Agave

Wisk all ingredients in a small dish. I use a glass measuring cup as it is easier to pour from.  This is used for both the spinach and mushrooms.  It may not seem like enough for both, but it is - plus the shrooms will produce liquid as they start to wilt.

Step 3 - Wilt Spinach
3 big handfuls of fresh baby spinach

Loosely tear spinach and place in large bowl.  Add less than half of the wilting mixture to the spinach then toss to coat.  Set aside.

Step 4 - Wilt Mushrooms
8 oz or more of Mushrooms of choice

Slice mushrooms and place in bowl.  Add remaining wilting mixture, toss to coat well then set aside.

Once they have wilted to desired liking, drain and set aside.

Step 5 - "Cheese" Crumbles
1/2 cup cashews
3 Tbs pine nuts
1 small garlic clove
1 Tbs nutritional yeast (gives it the cheesy flavor, not to mention health benefits)
1/8 tsp sea salt

Add all ingredients to food processor and process until it resembles small crumbles.  Set aside.

Step 6 - Sauce
1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (or tomatoes of choice)
3/4 cup soaked and drained sundried tomatoes from Step 1
1 medjool date (stone removed)
1/3 cup roughly chopped onion
1/2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
4-5 fresh basil leaves
1 large garlic clove
1 Tbs Italian Seasoning

Place all ingredients in order into food processor and pulse several times until well blended (may need to scrape down sides), but do not over process.  You don't want this to be a smooth sauce or it will be too runny for the lasagna - it needs to be a little chunky.  Set aside.

Step 7 - Zucchini Noodles
2 large zucchinis

I use a mandolin, but if you do not have one then a sharp knife will be fine.  I start by making about 5 thick slices which will be used for the bottom layer.  Slice the remaining zucchinis very thin or desired liking.  Set aside.

Step 8 - Layer the lasagna  
Now comes the fun part...wait, the above was fun too, right?  This part isn't rocket science, but I'll explain how I layered it, but feel free to layer as you wish.

Take a little bit of sauce and splatter it around with your hand onto a large platter, just to have a thin layer.  Just note here that for the rest of the layering when it comes time for the sauce, I use my clean hands because it's much easier to place on top of the zucchini and spread around.  The sauce doesn't completely cover everything like in traditional lasagna, but enough to get a decent covering.  So the rest goes like this...

Place the thick slices of zucchini on the sauce plate and then...
sauce
"cheese"
spinach
zucchini
sauce
"cheese"
mushrooms
zucchini
sauce
optional olive garnish
top with lots more "cheese"

You can serve and enjoy immediately or place in the fridge to chill a few hours which will let the zucchini become more "noodle" like and all ingredients take on a more "cooked" texture and appearance.  You can also warm it in the dehydrator if you so choose.  Enjoy!

Peace☮
Rocki