Many people seem to think that cooking vegan is difficult, and vegan food is bland and flavorless. I’d like to break the stereotype with these incredible flavor-packed recipes! In this three part series, I’d like to share some of my favorite vegan family recipes with all of you lovely readers here at Culturs! I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!
This recipe is delicious, and will likely fool any unsuspecting cheese lover! Once you try it, you won’t be able to get enough! It’s creamy, lemony and full of savory seasonings. This recipe includes nutritional yeast, which may seem like a bizarre ingredient, but is almost always within arm’s reach of any avid vegan chef. Nutritional yeast is a complete protein, a good source of B vitamins, and creates a sort of “cheesy” flavor in dishes without dairy.
In general, you’ll need:
- 1 package lasagna noodles, cooked, cooled, and strained
- 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
- 1 package spinach
Here’s what you’ll need for the Cashew “Cheese:”
- 1 8-ounce can of cashews, soaked in hot water for a minimum of 1 hour (to soften them)
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2-4 tablespoons of water (as needed to create your desired thickness)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Oregano and basil to taste
First, strain the cashews after they’ve been soaking for at least an hour. Place all of the ingredients (aside from the lasagna noodles and marinara sauce) into a high-speed blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or 177 degrees Celsius.
Cover the bottom of a large baking dish with marinara sauce (but don’t use the whole jar! We’ll need to top the rolls with marinara as well.)
On a clean work surface, spread out the noodles. Spread roughly 2 tablespoons of cashew cheese across each noodle in an even layer. Lay a few spinach leaves over top of spread-out cashew cheese. Roll each noodle into a tight spiral, and place into the baking dish. Ladle remaining marinara sauce over top of each roll.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
Stay tuned for our second and third installments, in which we make Two-Bean Chili and Black Bean Enchiladas, respectively.
