Recipe: Vegan Veggie Packed Lasagne by Panaceas Pantry

Panaceas Pantry is one of my favourite bloggers and my go-to for amazing gluten free and vegan recipes so when I found this lasagne recipe, I was super excited!! Not only is it gluten free and vegan, it's full of all of my favourite vegetables, meaning its perfect if you want to increase your vegetable intake!

We love trying new recipes and this one is perfect if you want to spend an afternoon baking something delicious!

It is also the perfect comfort food whilst still being healthy so we highly recommend that you try this incredibly delicious recipe!

Ingredients

FERMENTED CASHEW CHEESE 3 cups cashews, soaked 4 hours in water 1/2 cup filtered water 2 Tbsp starter: homemade kombucha, apple cider vinegar or sauerkraut juice 1/2 tsp salt

BEETROOT LAYER 250 grams beetroot, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 tsp garlic granules 1 cup (250g) cashew cheese

GREENS LAYER 375 grams greens of choice (I used silver beet, spinach and kale), washed and chopped 375g zucchini, grated 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups (375g) cashew cheese

MARINARA SAUCE 1 x 400ml tin crushed tomatoes 2 tsp olive oil 1/2 tsp salt 2 cloves garlic, crushed 6 sprigs thyme, leaves only

WHITE SAUCE 2 Tbsp vegan buter or olive oil 1/2 cup plain flour OR GLUTEN FREE FLOUR 2 cups almond or soy milk 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes 1/4 tsp salt Pinch nutmeg 20-25 gluten free lasagna sheets (I personally like to use Barilla)

Instructions

MAKE THE FERMENTED CASHEW CHEESE

1. NOTE- I highly recommend checking out this blog post to read the full instructions. . Drain cashews and place in a blender with remaining ingredients. Blend until very smooth, using the tamper to help things along. Once completely smooth, scrap the cheese into a very clean, large glass jar. Ensure the mixture only reaches 3/4 way up the jar, and that the top of the jar is clean and free os any cashew mixture. Once you have a even layer, pour in olive oil and create a 2cm layer on top. Leave the cashew cheese to ferment for 24-48 hours, or until it has lots of bubbles and has risen.

MAKE THE BEETROOT LAYER

1. Preheat oven to 200C and line a baking tray. Place cut beets onto the paper and drizzle with oil, salt and garlic. Bake for 35 minutes or until tender.

2. Allow beets to cool for 5 minutes before turning into a food processor. Pulse until almost pureed- small chunks are desirable. Scrape beets into a bowl and fold through cashew cheese, set aside.

MAKE THE GREENS LAYER

1. Add olive oil, greens and a splash of water to a saucepan and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes or until greens are vibrant and softened. Turn greens into a bowl, add salt, pepper and cashew cheese and fold through.

MAKE THE MARINARA SAUCE

1. Heat a small saucepan over low heat. Ad oil heat for 30 s then add garlic and brown for 30 s. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer (with the lid on), and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.

MAKE THE WHITE SAUCE

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat, then add the butter/oil. Melt, then turn off the heat and whisk together. Add milk, salt, nutmeg and yeast flakes and return to the heat. Bring to a simmer, whisking the whole time and stop once the sauce has thickened and starts to bubble. Turn oft  heat and set aside.

ASSEMBLE YOUR LASAGNA 1. Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F) and set aside a large, deep lasagne dish. Fill a large pot (5L) wit water and bring to the boil. Add salt, and par-cook the sheet for 3-4 mins, then drain and place a little bit of cold water with a splash of oil in the bottom of the pot. At this stage, you will need to work very quickly to avoid the sheets sticking together. – Pour the marinara into the bottom of the tray and spread evenly. Create a layer of lasagne sheets. – Add 1/3 of the greens mix and spread evenly, then top with a layer of lasagne sheets. – Add the second 1/3 of the greens mix and spread evenly, then top with a layer of lasagne sheets. – Add 1/2 the beetroot mixture and spread evenly, then top with a layer of lasagne sheets. – Add the second 1/2 the beetroot mixture and spread evenly, then top with a layer of lasagne sheets. – Add the final 1/3 of the greens mix and spread evenly, then top with a layer of lasagne sheets. – Finally, top with the white sauce and spread evenly to completely cover the top. Use 1/2 cup of hot water and slowly drizzle it into the sides of the lasagne, then cover with a lid or 2 layers of aluminium foil and bake for 40-45 mins or until cooked when checked with a skewer. Serve immediately with a punchy side salad.