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Monday, May 27, 2013

Grilled Vegetable Lasagna (Vegan)




 A delicious way to enjoy a lasagna without pasta or cheese!  I used grilled vegetables in layers to create the lasagna layers and then used a dairy-free pesto and a cashew cream -basil "cheese"to add creamy richness.  I then topped the lasagna with Brazil-nut "Parmesan" (Brazil nuts ground with nutritional yeast and salt).

I've been on a flour-free diet for a little over a month and I'm really surprised how much better I feel.  I've also cut out most dairy, so I'm playing here with some nut-based dairy substitutes.

I have a counter-top grill called The Griddler that does an awesome job grilling vegetables.  I used zucchini as the base and top for my lasagna, brushed with a little olive oil- balsamic vinegar mix.


I created a dairy-free basil pesto using basil, garlic, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, and hemp seeds:

Topped the pesto with some grilled portobello mushrooms:


I then topped the mushrooms with a premade tomato-basil pasta sauce and a cashew-cream basil "cheese"(soaked cashews, lemon juice, basil, salt & pepper):



I then topped this with another layer of grilled zucchini and sprinkled them with my Brazil Nut Parmesan.  Cooked under the broiler for a few minutes to toast the topping and warm the dish through.

This was my first experiment with this dish.  I'm thinking next time I'll puree some white beans with basil in place of one of the nut mixes to add creaminess and reduce some of the richness.

Enjoy!