Mexican Zucchini Lasagna

Super Veggie Lentil Taco "Meat" has a new gig, and just in time for Cinco de Mayo! Layered between thinly sliced zucchini, Mexican rice, spicy tomato sauce, and topped off with some vegan cheddar, this is one mean Mexican Zucchini Lasagna. The only thing that this dish is missing is a margarita on the rocks to wash it down with!

Zucchini stands in for lasagna noodles, keeping this dish very light (more room for margaritas!), as well as gluten-free. This lasagna is also oil-free, and optionally soy-free (watch the vegan cheese and sour cream toppings). If lentils don't float your boat try this with some chipotle-style seitan or seasoned black beans instead.

Perfect mile-high slices are achieved by layering this lasagna in two standard loaf pans lined with parchment paper. Once cooled remove each lasagna by gripping the parchment paper on both sides and lifting, transferring to a cutting board to slice. Do not try this with hot lasagna -- if serving immediately simply cut and serve directly from the pan. The slices won't be as pretty this way, but no less delicious. You may halve the recipe and make only 1 loaf pan (4 servings), but I promise you that you will wish you hadn't. This is one that leftovers taste even better, and also freezes well. So clear out some space in the freezer, fill up that margarita pitcher, and get cookin'!



Mexican Zucchini Lasagna
Serves 8

1 batch Super Veggie Lentil Taco "Meat"
2 large zucchini
1 cup cheddar style vegan cheese (optional)
1/2 cup sliced olives (optional)

Rice
1 cup short grain brown rice
2 cups vegetable stock or water
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 cup corn (frozen or canned)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 tbsp tomato paste

Sauce
Large can (28 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes (plain diced, crushed, or whole peeled are also OK)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground chipotle
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder


Rice: Get the rice and lentils going at the same time, starting with the rice. Combine rice, stock, and spices in a medium sauce pan fitted with a lid. Bring to a boil, and reduce to low and simmer covered for 45-50 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in corn (don't worry about thawing), tomato paste, and nutritional yeast, if using. Partially cover and set aside.

Lentil "Meat": Start the lentils while the rice is simmering. Follow recipe here. When done stir into the pot of rice and set aside. (You may choose to make the lentils and rice a day ahead and cut an hour of prep time).

Zucchini noodles: While the lentils and rice are simmering start prepping the zucchini noodles. Start by trimming the ends off of the zucchinis. Slice 1/4" thick slices the length of the zucchini (mandolin slicer works great here), until you have 16 total noodles. Line a colander with paper towels. Lightly salt each zucchini noodle on both sides and put into the colander with paper towels between the layers. Set aside to allow some of the moisture to be absorbed, while you finish preparations on the other components.

Sauce: For the sauce, simply blend all ingredients in a blender and set aside until ready to assemble the lasagna.

Assembly: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 loaf pans with parchment paper. Spread 1/4 cup sauce in the bottom of one pan. Take 2 zucchini noodles and gently wipe the salt and excess moisture from both sides. Lay the 2 noodles side by side on top of the sauce to create the first layer. Spread 1 cup of the lentil/rice mixture over top of the noodles, and then 1/2 cup of sauce. Repeat for two more layers, noodles then lentils/rice ending with sauce. Top the third layer with 2 more noodles followed by 1/4 cup of sauce, 1/2 cup of shredded vegan cheddar cheese, and 1/4 cup sliced olives, if using. Repeat process in the second pan. Bake lasagnas for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the sauce is bubbling.

Allow the lasagnas to set for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. The longer the lasagnas set, the cleaner the slices will be (see notes above the recipe). Garnish with avocado, vegan sour cream, cilantro, and/or hot sauce. 

Instant Cheezy Sauce

Like so many vegans before me, I have discovered the cheezy joys of nutritional yeast. However, it wasn't always this way--my bliss is fairly recent. My first container of the yellow stuff lasted me ages, and I only enjoyed it when it was hidden among many other ingredients. When I ran out of the first container I decided to try a different brand, which turned out to have a much better flavor. It was then that I discovered my undying love for nutritional yeast.

I eat steamed veggies with my dinner most nights. Once I realized my love of nutritional yeast I got into the habit of sprinkling a big spoonful over top of my veggies for added flavor and nutrition (B-12 baby!). Then to change things up, I started to drizzle some tahini over top of the veggies in addition to the nutritional yeast. I wasn't done there, the third ingredient that I eventually added to my veggie toppings was lemon juice, which rounded out the flavors perfectly. It wasn't long before I realized that rather than messily heaping these ingredients onto my veggies I could premix them into a sauce. A couple more flavors made their way into the mix, and my instant cheezy sauce was born.

This tangy cheeze sauce instantly became my favorite way to dress up steamed vegetables. Before you try this, I should mention that as a prerequisite, you must love nutritional yeast. It is the dominant flavor in this sauce, and if you are anything like I used to be when I first tried nutritional yeast, this one is not for you.


Instant Cheezy Sauce
Serves 2

2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp onion powder

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Add up to 1 additional tablespoon of water to achieve your preferred thickness. Spoon over 2 servings of steamed veggies.

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Thanks again to everyone that entered the TofuXpress giveaway. There were 83 qualifying entries in total, and I used random.org to generate the winning number of 73. Congrats to Cadry, the lucky commenter!

Game Day Chili Buffet.. and more!

There will not be a Super Bowl party at my house. I did, however, have a playoffs party last week when my Chicago Bears faced off against the Green Bay Packers--a game that determined who would go on to the Super Bowl. As you may have guessed, the Bears did not win. I could continue sulking, or I could share with you all of the delicious vegan food that kept my fellow Bears fans' tummies satisfied despite the very unsatisfying game. If you are having a vegan Super Bowl party, here are lots of ideas for you!

The main event was a chili buffet, but we'll get to that in a minute. My guests started the afternoon with a variety of appetizers.

Most of my guests were omnivores so my aim was to impress with vegan versions of several game day classics, starting with Tempeh Hot Wings. I served these with celery, carrots, and Isa's low-fat, ranch-style "Sanctuary Dressing", from her newest cookbook, Appetite for Reduction. The wings and dressing were gobbled up in no time!

Next up, vegan 'tater skins -- a first for me! These were made with Steve in mind, a potato skin fanatic. I followed Claryn's recipe, and they turned out awesome.

By special request, I made up a platter of Bianca's Deviled Tofu. These disappeared in no time per usual!

Always a crowd pleaser, and so easy to make, I had to include Kim's Hot Artichoke Dip with pita chips. There are never leftovers of this dish!

And somehow after all of that we had room for the chili buffet! I served this cornbread as a side dish on the buffet line. I had two pots of chili keeping warm on the stove, the black bean version pictured above (recipe to follow) and a White Chili as well. In a small crock pot set on low was a double batch of queso dip (changed up by pureeing it rather than leaving the tomatoes chunky, which was awesome by the way). I also cooked up a pound of whole wheat macaroni noodles, so chili mac would be an option.

I chopped up a tray of chili toppings which included cilantro, jalapenos, tomatoes, baby spinach, green onions, and avocado. On the side I put out a container of tofutti sour cream and a bowl of corn tortilla chips. The chips presented yet another option, chili cheese nachos. It was fun seeing what the guests chose to put in their bowls, and no two bowls were alike. Being the good blogger that I am I assaulted my guests with my camera to capture some of the bowls in action.

Mitch wasn't messing around! He smothered his chili in baby spinach, sour cream, and queso. I spy a few jalapenos on there too, and who knows what else he is hiding under there!

Chris had a little bit of everything in his bowl, good man! His chili met in the bowl with some baby spinach, jalapenos, cornbread, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Kerry kept it classic, topping her chili off with green onions and tomato, with a little cornbread on the side.

Candace got her mac n' cheese fix by tossing some noodles with queso and sprinkled it with spinach and jalapeno, no chili needed in this delicious bowl!

Steve went for a deluxe chili mac by layering noodles, queso, and chili and topping it off with sour cream, tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapenos. Good one!

I only captured about half of the bowls, but you get the idea! The chili buffet turned out great. It seemed like everyone enjoyed personalizing their bowls, and most went back for seconds.

When all hope of winning the game was lost, I decided it was time to break out the cake to revive the solemn party. It did raise our spirits, if only for a little while. This recipe is from The Joy of Vegan Baking, and it is definitely one I will return to.

The party was a success, except for the whole Bears losing thing. This new chili recipe was the greatest success. My goal was for it to be flavorful, but for it to not overpower the accompaniments. Mild enough for those who can't tolerate heat, yet not too boring for those who love it. Considering this, my chili was the game-winning touchdown!

Game Day Chili for a Crowd
Serves 10-12

1 large white or yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp medium hot chili powder (or more to taste)
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
dash cayenne (optional)
4 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 4 oz can diced green chilis
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce + 1 can of water
1 32 oz can petite or regular diced tomatoes, with liquid
1-1/2 cups frozen corn (or 1 can drained and rinsed)(optional)

Heat 1/4 cup of water in a large pot and add onion. Saute for about 3 minutes and then add the garlic. Continue to saute until the onion is softened.

Stir in the spices and saute for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Turn heat to high to bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and partially cover the pot. Slow simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Serve hot with queso, over noodles, on top of nachos, or straight up with your favorite toppings.

Fun with Uncheese and Vegan Care Package Swapping

Over the past few weeks I have been cooking up recipes from the newest cookbook in my collection, The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak. The word on the street is that this cookbook lives up to its name, so this recovering cheese-o-holic had to see for herself.

Not too long ago I was a vegan cheese newbie (January to be exact). Since then I have tried a few other dairy-free cheese recipes, and have occasionally enjoyed a couple store-bought varieties. After 6 months of vegan cheese experimentation I was ready for The Ultimate Uncheese experience.





This book offers everything cheesy under the sun, including dips, sauces, soups, fondues, casseroles, sweets, and more. The section that grabbed my attention first was block uncheeses. That's right block uncheeses, as in smooth, firm, slice-able, shred-able vegan cheese. I had never heard of such a thing! This section includes vegan versions of Swiss, Gouda, Colby, buffalo mozzarella, muenster, Monterey Jack, and brie. The obvious first choice to me was Colby, a mild tangy cheese, with that classic yellow-orange color shared by many popular American cheeses. As you can see the color was spot on!

Many of the ingredients in the Colby recipe are the usual suspects in vegan cheeses, including nutritional yeast, cashews, tahini, onion powder, roasted red pepper, and lemon juice. However, there was one ingredient that I had never used making vegan cheese: agar flakes. Agar is a sea vegetable available in dried flakes or powder, which I found in the Asian section by the other sea vegetables at my local Whole Foods. This ingredient is responsible for turning this recipe from a liquid uncheese to a block uncheese. Agar is the vegetarian alternative to gelatin (which is made from animal products). When it is heated in water it creates a thick gel, which becomes more solid as it cools. I had first purchased agar flakes for a vegan lemon bar recipe, so knowing what it is capable of I was excited to see how it worked on vegan cheese. I was very pleased with the results! While it isn't quite as hard as the real deal, this cheese has a nice firm texture that is smooth and creamy to the bite. The flavor is light and tangy, with added depth from the hints of roasted red pepper, and the garlic and onion powders. A+ for flavor!

 

I enjoyed the Colby recipe so much that I decided to try another block cheese. This time I wanted to try a bolder flavor so I made the pepper jack variation of the Monterey Jack recipe. It turned out to be a pretty mild cheese as well because I was too shy with the hot peppers. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this recipe immensely. I served both cheeses sliced on top of crackers and sandwiches, and shredded over steamed veggies, tofu scrambles, and burritos.

Moving away from the block uncheeses I decided to try out a recipe from the "Casserole and Dinner Pie" section. I love broccoli and I love any dish involving phyllo dough, so I had to try the Broccoli Strudel. Light crispy phyllo dough over a savory crumbled tofu and broccoli filling. Perfect! This was a simple and satisfying meal, easy to whip together on weeknight.

I must say that The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook does live up to its name! I have so many other recipes bookmarked to try. So far the Colby block uncheese was my favorite--it is definitely going to make regular appearances in my kitchen. I'm excited to be able to share this recipe with you by permission of the publisher, Book Publishing Co.. Enjoy!

Colby Cheez
from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak
(published by permission of BookPubCo.)

1-1/2 cups water
5 tbsp agar flakes, or 1-1/2 tbps agar powder
1/2 cup roasted red peppers (skin and seeds removed), or pimento pieces
1/2 cup raw cashews or skinless Brazil nuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp mustard powder

Lightly oil a 3-cup plastic storage container and set aside. Combine the water and agar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, until dissolved, about 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender and add the remaining ingredients. Process several minutes until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender jar as necessary. Pour into the prepared container and cool uncovered in the refrigerator. When completely cool, cover and chill several hours or overnight. To serve, turn out of the container and slice. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator. Will keep 5 to 7 days.

Variations: In place of the red peppers, use 1/2 cup cooked chopped carrots, 2 to 3 teaspoons paprika, or 2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste. For Chedda Cheez add 2 tablespoons light or chickpea miso prior to blending. For Olive Cheez replace dry mustard with 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. After blending, stir in 3/4 cup chopped black olives or sliced pimento-stuffed green olives.

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In other news, I participated in a vegan care package swap hosted by Cook.Vegan.Lover. I was paired up with none other than the lovely Ricki Heller of Diet, Dessert and Dogs. Check out the amazing goodies that she sent me!

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Ricki lives in Toronto, the most multicultural city in the world, so she went with a multicultural theme, including several local Canadian goods.

Can you believe how much she spoiled me?! This is what I got:

• Chana Masala spice mix. How cool is that? Chana Masala is one of my favorite Indian dishes, and the next time I make some I won't have to measure out 10+ different spices!
• "All in One" rice flakes and chickpea mix. Oh my goodness this Indian snack is so spicy, crunchy and delicious!
• Onion Rings. These remind me of funions, except way crunchier, way tastier, and way less questionable ingredients :)
• Dried mangoes from the Phillipines. 
• Milano mille feuilles. These crisp flaky Italian pastries are way too good!
• Roasted fava beans. This was the most intriguing item in the package, so I had to try it first. These beans are crunchy and salty, and actually kind of remind me of salted peanuts, but crunchier. Yum!
• New Moon Kitchen Mo' Mints. Organic fair trade cookies made in Toronto, so so delicious, my absolute favorite item so far.
• Empower Glo Bar. I have always wanted to try Glo Bars! They are made by Canadian blogger, Angela, of Oh, She Glows. Can't wait to try!
• Creamy dill dip mix. This will be great for parties.
• Two Girls Looking Kale Chips - spicy, cheesy, perfect!
• Cinnamon chocolate bar from the French choclatiers in Montreal. Oh-la-la, tucking away this beauty for a rainy day!
• Theobroma almond cranberry chocolate bar - more local chocolate, poor me!! ;)
• President's Choice organic popcorn - little did Ricki know that popcorn is my ultimate snacking weakness, good choice!
• Last but not least, some non-food items: 2 cute new dishtowels and Windmill Hill handmade pear and vanilla soap (which I must have accidently cut out of the picture). This soap smells amazing!

Thanks again, Ricki! It was so fun care package swapping with you, and all of your selections are most excellent! (Here is Ricki's post about the swap, which also includes a giveaway for some Amy's brand goods!).

Now I am going to disappear again for a couple of weeks. I am leaving for a 3 part trip including New York City, Spain, and Amsterdam. I look forward to sharing my adventures and my vegan dining experiences with you when I return. I may even try to blog while traveling, but we'll see how that goes ;)