COZY POTATO LASAGNA

Recipe by Ellen Fisher

This recipe is vegan

Serves 4-5
Ingredients:

For the layered lasagna:

2 pounds golden potatoes, sliced

2 medium zucchini, diced

1 medium eggplant, sliced

1/2 a pound spinach

1 big heirloom tomato, sliced

for the tomato sauce

2 portobello mushrooms, sliced

1 medium yellow onion, minced

8 cups diced tomatoes

6 Medjool dates

1-2 tsp garlic powder

1 handful fresh basil

1 tsp oregano

3 heaping tbsp tomato paste

For the creamy ricotta: 

1 large cauliflower, broken into chunks

1.5 cups raw cashews, soaked and drained

1 small peeled zucchini, diced

1/4 cup diced carrot

4 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the potatoes, zucchini and eggplant on a couple baking sheets with parchment paper. You can even double up the baking sheets by laying an extra layer of parchment paper and vegetables on top of the first layer of sliced veggies. This will make it easier to pre-cook all the veggies in one go. Bake them for about 20 minutes. Make sure the potatoes are fork tender (almost fully cooked) before taking out.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the ricotta. Blend the cashews, zucchini, carrot, lemon juice, garlic powder, sea salt and water in a high speed blender until smooth, using the tamper to drive down the ingredients into the blade. Set sauce aside. Then separate the cauliflower into big chunks.

3. Once the potatoes, zucchini and eggplant are halfway cooked, take them out and set them aside. Now place the cauliflower chunks in the oven on a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Meanwhile prepare the tomato sauce. Sauté the mushrooms and onion in a little water on medium heat. Reserve about 1/4 of the onion to add in the blender. Also add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, dates and blend until smooth. Then add in the herbs and spices and pulse until well combined. Add the sauce to the pan with the mushrooms onion and stir on low heat until warmed up and cooked nicely, for about 10 minutes.

5. Once the cauliflower is cooked, pulse it in a food processor (or Vitamix blender) with about 1/3 of the cashew sauce until it becomes chunky and creamy like ricotta.

6. To assemble, spread a layer of marinara at the bottom of 1-2 casserole dishes. Top with a layer of potatoes, then cauliflower ricotta, then another layer of marinara. Continue adding layers of spinach, zucchini, eggplant and potatoes with marinara, cashew sauce and ricotta in between. For the finishing touch, spread a layer of the remaining cashew sauce and diced heirloom tomato on top and bake lasagna in the oven at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!