Raw Lasagna

Last week I made a raw lasagna that was out of this world. It was inspired by The Raw Chef Russell James …and my grandmother of course! His recipes are incredible if you have a little extra time. I had some raw marinara sauce left over from my raw zucchini pasta and I had all the ingredients on hand. This was so flavorful I didn’t feel too bad that I wasn’t following my grandmothers family recipe. I did feel like I was cheating a little by not using her sauce. Every time I go home to upstate New York to visit she sends me home with containers of her sauce along with her lasagna and frittata that smells up my car like crazy. Her lasagna is so freaking good. She doesn’t exactly understand what it means when I say I’m trying to go “raw” or “vegan”. I have since found this healthier, kinder version. I do know her tomato’s are straight from her garden and while I was growing up I never once had sauce that came from a jar or can. That would be a sin in her book.  I don’t ever feel like I’m depriving myself. I feel so good eating plant foods and knowing I’m doing it for the animals.

Recipe

First soak the macadamia nuts for 2-4 hours

While their soaking make the sauce

Sauce

3 roma tomatoes

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (soaked for an hour)

2 pitted dates

1/2 red onion

2 cloves garlic

Handful of fresh basil, oregano and any other fresh herbs you want to add.

3 tablespoons olive oil

Fresh lemon juice ( 1 lemon)

salt/pepper

Blend the sauce and set aside

Macadamia cheez

2 cups macadamias soaked

1 cup pine nuts

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 yellow pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water as needed

Process in a food processor and add water little by little until a fluffy consistency is created. Don’t add too much!

Spinach layer ( I used arugula)

6 cups torn spinach, 5 tablespoons dried oregano, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place all ingredients in a bowl to marinate.

To assemble

5 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise and marinated in 1 tablespoon of salt and 3 tablespoons of olive oil for 10 minutes.

Line the base of your dish with the zucchini so they overlap

Layer the cheez layer then sauce then spinach

Repeat until done. Place dish in fridge for an hour to firm it up.

I had a piece waiting for my sister when she came over and she agreed it was amazing! Present this to any skeptic and win them over.