Gluten Free Vegan Zucchini Eggplant Lasagna Food

GLUTEN FREE VEGAN ZUCCHINI EGGPLANT LASAGNA

Steps:

• Prepare Vegan ricotta: In a food processor or industrial blender, combine the cashews, oil, and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the tofu, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until finely chopped and resembling the texture of ricotta, add soymilk as needed to thin the mixture out. Add the basil and pulse just until chopped into the mixture.
• Set Vegan ricotta and set aside.
• Slice zucchini and eggplant into thin, horizontal planks preferably with a mandolin. Place zucchini in a colander and salt. Allow to sit for 30-60 minutes to extract extra moisture. Drain and pat dry with a towel. Bake or sautée slices for a few minutes on each side to ensure all excess moisture is removed (I cooked slices in a non-stick pan for 2-3 minutes on each side). Put aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat oil in a pan on medium to medium-high heat. Add carrot sticks and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add sliced baby bella mushroom and onion cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 additional minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat.
• Put a thin layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish. Place zucchini planks over sauce to cover the bottom of the dish.
• Add 1/2 the ricotta mixture, spreading it evenly over the zucchini. Then add 1/2 the mushroom mixture, spreading it over the ricotta. Add another thin layer of sauce. Repeat with zucchini, ricotta and mushroom mixture. Add a last layer of zucchini and cover in sauce. If you like, add a layer of vegan cheese .
• Cover the pan with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove lasagna from the oven and allow to sit for approximately 15 minutes before serving.

ROASTED ZUCCHINI AND EGGPLANT LASAGNA

Steps:

• Grease two rimmed baking sheets. Adjust oven racks to lower middle and upper middle positions and heat oven to 400 deg F.
• Toss zucchini and eggplant with 3 tbl olive oil two-thirds of garlic, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.
• Spread on baking sheets and bake, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden brown, 35-45 minutes; set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tbl oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Stir in crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes with their juice, bring to simmer and cook until flavors blend, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in basil and salt and pepper, to taste. Let cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes. You should have about 7 cups of sauce - add water, if necessary, to reach cups.
• Spread 1 cup cooled sauce on bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
• Lay 3 noodles in dish, spread one-waurter of cooled vegetables over noodels, and top with 1 cup sauce.
• Sprinkle 2/3 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan over sauce.
• Repeat layering of noodles, veggies, sauce and cheeses two more times.
• Lay remaining 3 noodles in dish and top with remaining vegetable and 1 cup sauce. Transfer remaining 2 cups sauce to storage container.
• Wrap dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate lasagna, and the remaining sauce, for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 deg F. Unwarp dish and spread reserved sauce over top.
• Cover dish tightly with greased aluminum foil and bake lasagna until hot throughtou and bubbling around eges, about 45 minutes.
• Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining mozarella and Parmesan an bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted and begins to brown, about 10 minutes.
• Let cool ten minutes, and serve.