Want to make something healthy, delicious but hearty for dinner? Oh, I’ve got just the ticket.

But, I know you’ll laugh when I say nut cheese. Or at least you should. I admit it’s a strange combination of words. But hopefully you’ll find some humor in it like I did.

On to the lasagna…

It’s chock full of veggies and think sliced of tofu marinated in the most delicious concoction…layered with a creamy mix of cashews and garlic, chives and more. You’ll get the experience of a hearty italian lasagna minus the giant lump that sits in your belly post consumption. It’s actually quite refreshing. Erik and I sat there satisfied, in awe that we had devoured something so yummy and what seemed to be heavy, but felt light and happy afterwards.

Give it a shot. It might seem like a lot of ingredients and steps, but it comes together with just a little bit of active effort.

From Healthy Happy Life

Garden Vegetable Lasagna w/ Ricotta Nut Cheese and Marinated tofu
vegan, makes one 9-11″ lasagna

  • 1 large ripe tomato, sliced into thin rounds
  • 4 cups marinara sauce (or homemade recipe) if you don’t have one, let me know
  • 16 oz. extra firm tofu, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced thin, any variety
  • 1/4- 1/2 cup non-dairy cheese, I used Daiya
  • 2 cups fresh leafy greens
  • *I used mustard greens. Kale, spinach, etc work too.
  • 1 box no-boil lasagna noodles
  • *you can choose the boil method if you’d like
  • optional: 1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped – chopped basil

1 1/2 cups Chive Nut Cheese Ricotta (makes 2 1/2 cups)

  • 2 cups of soaked raw cashews/pinch of salt, drained
  • 2 tsp garlic powder or 3 fresh garlic cloves
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp EVOO
  • 1/4 cup plain almond milk (for richer flavor)
  • 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar OR lemon juice *you can also use red wine or balsamic vinegar’s if you prefer those flavors
  • 1 Tbsp dried Italian herb blend
  • 1 Tbsp agave or maple syrup (or honey)
  • 1/3 cup fresh chives
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • salt to taste (about 1/4 tsp)
  • garnish: handful of fresh chopped chives

Directions:

Add raw cashews to a big bowl of water, add a pinch of salt. Soak in fridge overnight or at least for about 2-4 hours. More soaking, smoother texture.

Drain soaked cashews. Add them to a food processor. Add in the vinegar or lemon juice, soy milk or creamer, agave and EOO. Blend on high until smooth. If your ricotta is looking too dry, add more almond milk and/or more EVOO.

Zesty Garlic Marinade

  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder OR 5 chopped garlic cloves
  • 3-4 Tbsp EVOO
  •  1/2 cup red wine, apple cider or balsamic vinegar *see vinegar note below
  • 2-3 Tbsp dried Italian herb seasoning blend (I had dried oregano and basil laying around, so I used that)
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • optional: 1/4 cup fresh basil – chiffonade
  • optional: a pinch of sea salt rubbed on tofu before placing in marinade

*vinegar note: if using apple cider or red wine vinegar you may want to add a splash of agave/maple syrup to sweeten your marinade up a bit. The balsamic vinegar should have enough sweetness on its own.

Directions:

Make your marinade by combining all ingredients in a large bowl.

Prep your veggies. Slice you ingredients very thin so that the marinade absorbs quickly.Place your sliced ingredients (tofu, mushrooms, tomatoes, greens) into your marinade bowl. Toss gently. Add more EVOO/vinegar if needed to cover ingredients. Allow to marinate at least 20 minutes. Otherwise you can prep this part for overnight marination.

If you haven’t made your Chive Ricotta Lasagna in advance – do it now. Set aside.

Begin building your lasagna. Start with some sauce sauce, then noodles, sauce, greens, tofu, sauce, noodles, sauce, mushrooms, noodles, ricotta, noodles, sauce, fresh tomatoes, chives, black pepper. Or, build it however you want!!