Big Bad Art: Michelle's Vegan Mofo Recipe: Lasagna to Cry For

Ironically as I'm typing this blog post about Michelle's healthy lasagna, I'm also getting ready for Halloween. Halloween is synonymous with junk food for kids under 12 and I've eaten my fair share of snack bars for trick or treaters who never ventured their way down to the end of our dark street. However, I've found that a hearty, healthy meal is the best defensive move when trying not to overindulge on the sweets.

Michelle, from Healthier Steps, makes gorgeous vegan soaps but also has a very inspiring story about the importance of a clean diet in our every day lives. For those of you who need a little kick in the butt to get started on a life of healthier eating, read Michelle's story. Here's Michelle's step-by-step delicious recipe:)

Michelle's Lasagna to Cry For

This delicious lasagna is guaranteed not to stay in the dish very long.
Sauce:

2 26 oz bottled spaghetti sauce

½ onion diced

2 cloves of garlic minced

½ red bell pepper diced

1 zucchini diced

1 Tbs oil

Filling:

1 lb x-firm tofu drained and mashed

1 cup frozen spinach thawed

½ cup cashew

1 cup water

2 Tbs nutritional yeast flakes

½ cup vegan cream cheese

1 Tbs onion

1 tsp salt

1 clove garlic

1 lb lasagna noodle uncooked

2 cups vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded, optional (I used Daiya vegan cheese)

Dried parsley to garnish

Preheat oven 375 degrees.

In a skillet on medium heat sauté onion, garlic, red bell pepper, and zucchini until tender.

Stir the veggies into the spaghetti sauce

In another bowl place mashed tofu and spinach. Place water, cashew, cream cheese, onion, garlic, salt and nutritional yeast flakes in a blender or food processor and blend until creamy. Mix into tofu and spinach.

Place a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. Cover sauce with uncooked noodles about 4 leaving space for noodles to expand. Cover noodles with tofu mixture, then dribble a thin layer of sauce over the tofu mixture. Next cover with noodles, then tofu mixtures then place a layer of sauce, then a layer of noodles, then sauce.

You may place the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle dried parsley to garnish. Bake for 45 minutes covered with foil, to make sure noodles are cooked then uncover for 10 minutes.

When Michelle isn't busy making kick-butt lasagna, she is homeschooling (go Michelle, I used to homeschool too!) her two children and creating soap that looks good enough to eat.