Colorful Chickpea California Rolls (Vegan, Oil-Free)

These Colorful Chickpea California Rolls make an easy, delicious, and nutritious dinner.  They are veggie-packed, tasty, and satisfying!  Just like my Crispy Tofu Spring Rolls, this recipe is wonderful for using up leftover veggies in your fridge!  Ingredients are limitless.  You can put in almost any variety of veggies or easily make these non-vegan (highly recommend cucumber, smoked salmon, and cream cheese). 

Ingredients:

For the rice:
1 cup sushi rice (Japanese short-grain rice)

1 and 1/4 cup water (you may need more)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Remaining Ingredients (Sub/Add as you please)
4-6 Nori Sheets (you can find these at your local Asian market)
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced (your choice of color)
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup boiled or canned chickpeas
2 tablespoons sriracha
2 tablespoons mustard

For serving *optional*
Soy sauce
Pickled ginger
Pickled radish
Wasabi
Sesame Seeds

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Prepare the rice:  Start by rinsing and draining the rice three times.  Place the rice in a saucepan and add the water so that the water is about a 1/2 inch higher than the rice line.  Cook over medium heat until the rice is cooked and the water has evaporated.  Remove from heat.
2. While the rice is still warm, add in the rice vinegar and soy sauce.  Mix the rice with a fork until the rice is well mixed.  It should be sticky.  Set aside.
3.  Prepare the chickpea filling:  In a bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork.  Add in the sriracha and mustard and mix well.  Set aside.
4. To assemble California rolls, place a nori sheet on a dry surface or plate.  The rough side should be facing up and the smooth side should be facing down.
5.  With a spoon, gently spread the sushi rice over the nori, leaving 1 inch at the top of the nori bare.  Make sure the layer of sushi rice is thin.
6. In the bottom third of the nori closest to you, gently spread a tablespoon or two of the chickpea mixture in a straight line.  Then, lay a thin slice of bell pepper, carrot, cucumber, and green onion in a straight line over the chickpea mixture.
7.  With dry hands, begin rolling the nori and rice over the vegetables and chickpea mixture.  Before continuing rolling, make sure the veggies are compressed fairly tightly within the first roll.  Then, continue rolling upwards.  Place the final California roll seam-side down.  Repeat.
8. Once you are ready to serve, gently slice the California rolls into 1 inch pieces with a serrated knife (slow saw motions work best).
9.  Serve the California rolls with the optional soy sauce, pickled ginger, pickled radish, wasabi, and sesame seeds.
10.  Enjoy!  Although, these are best eaten fresh, you may store leftover California rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.

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Spanakopita (Vegan, Dairy-Free)

Growing up, my sister would make us Spanakopita (or, Greek Spinach and Feta Pie) on special occasions.  I loved it, and even ate it when I was allergic to feta cheese.  Why care about a skin rash when it tasted so good? :p

A couple years back, I became aware that you CAN make Spanakopita vegan AND dairy free.  Besides solving my allergy situation, I could also feed this to my vegan dad!  

This recipe is modeled off of the Vegan Word's recipe.  It required quite a few steps, but it was well worth the time.  Try it, fall in love, and repeat!

Ingredients:

10 sheets phyllo pastry
3 tablespoons oil or tahini for brushing the phyllo pastry
1 tablespoon oil
15 cups fresh spinach (about one large Costco pack), steamed, cooled, and drained (squeeze out any excess amounts of water)
1 onion, diced into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped into fine pieces
3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
6 green onions, chopped, making sure the white parts are chopped finely
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground chili pepper *optional*

Vegan Feta (to prepare beforehand)
1/2 pack drained extra firm tofu, crumbled into feta size pieces
1 tablespoon miso
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon  dried thyme
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons tahini

Vegan Ricotta (to prepare beforehand or while cooking) 
1/2 pack drained extra firm tofu, pat dried with a towel
1/4 cup cashews
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon oil
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Prepare the vegan feta by mixing the miso, rice vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, nutritional yeast, and tahini in a separate bowl.  Gently pour the sauce over the crumbled tofu, mix, and marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
2. Prepare the vegan ricotta, by blending the tofu, cashews, lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, and nutritional yeast until it forms a thick paste.  Set aside.
3. When the cheeses are ready, you can now begin assembling your spanakopita!  Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and greasing a 9x13 baking pan with oil or tahini.
4. Layer the first phyllo sheet into the tray and brush oil or tahini over the sheet.  Layer another phyllo sheet on the top of that and brush again with oil or tahini.  Repeat until you have done this for five phyllo sheets.
5. Bake the five phyllo sheets for 10 minutes in the oven.  Then, set aside.
6. In a fry pan, warm 1 tablespoon of oil.  Add the onions and saute until lightly golden brown.
7. Add the garlic, dill, mint, green onions, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and optional ground chili pepper to the fry pan.  Sautee with the onions for about 3 minutes.  Then, remove from heat and set aside.
8. In a large bowl, mix the spinach, fry pan mixture, vegan feta, and vegan ricotta until well combined.
9.   Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the pre-baked phyllo dough layers.

10. Place a phyllo sheet over the spinach mixture and brush oil or tahini over the sheet.  Then, layer another phyllo sheet on top of that and brush again with oil or tahini.  Repeat until you have done this for five phyllo sheets.
11.  Cut through the top layers of the phyllo sheets and spinach mixture, making serving size squares. Do not cut through the bottom layers of the pre-baked phyllo sheets.  This makes it easy to cut clean pieces prior to serving.
12.  Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, and broil for one to two minutes to get a nice lightly golden brown color on top (watch the spanakopita carefully as ovens all vary)!
13.  Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 20 minutes.  Cut through the bottom layers of the dough, following the square lines made previously.
14.  Serve and eat while warm or at room temperature.
15.  Store any leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days, making sure to reheat in an oven prior to serving.

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Crispy Tofu Spring Rolls (Vegan)

Want a healthy and delicious appetizer for your meal tonight?   This recipe is incredibly easy to make and is extremely versatile (aka use up leftover veggies in your fridge!).  Make them non-vegan (highly recommend adding panko shrimp!).  Or, make them no oil friendly (by skipping the fried tofu step and simply adding thin strips of firm tofu instead.).

Ingredients:

10-12 rice wrappers

4 oz rice vermicelli (thin noodles)
1 pack extra firm tofu, drained and dried with a towel
3 tablespoons sesame oil (or, sub canola oil)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 bunch mint, chopped
4-5 green onions, sliced into very thin strips
15-20 Thai basil leaves (look for this at your local Asian grocery store, or sub American basil)
15-20 spinach leaves (or, sub another leafy vegetable)
2-3 chopped Serrano peppers into fine pieces *optional*
1/2 cup other veggies, sliced into very thin strips (carrots, bell peppers, etc) *optional*

Sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy (or, sub almond butter)
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3-5 tablespoons water (depending on how thick of a dipping sauce you would like)

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Prepare the vermicelli rice noodles by boiling them for 3-5 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  These should be al dente and not soggy.
2. Cut the tofu into thin and small rectangles, making sure to pat dry each strip.
3. In a fry pan, add sesame oil and warm over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the tofu and fry on all sides until golden brown.  This will take about 10 minutes.  Remove from fry pan and set aside.
4. To assemble spring rolls, add hot water to a skillet.  Keep the skillet on low heat until all spring rolls are assembled.
5. Prepare the first spring roll, by taking one rice wrapper and carefully soaking it in the hot water for about 5-7 seconds.
6. Transfer the soaked rice wrapper to a damp surface such as a cutting board or plate.  Make sure all edges are not folded over, and that you maintain the original circular shape.
7. In the bottom third of the wrapper, and a small handful of vermicelli noodles and layer the tofu, cilantro, mint, green onions, Thai basil, spinach, the optional serrano peppers, and the optional other vegetables.
8. Tuck in the left and right edges.  Then, from the bottom, gently roll all the fillings once over, making sure that the fillings stay together.  Finally, continue rolling to the end of the wrapper.  See this video if you need a visual!
9. Place the spring roll seam side down on a serving platter and cover with a damp paper towel.  Repeat steps 4-9, until all your fillings are used.
10.  Serve with the sauce, which is easily prepared by mixing the peanut butter, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and water together.  Alternatively, you can serve these with a sweet and sour sauce or a hot sauce of your choice.
11.  Enjoy!  If you have leftover spring rolls or will not be eating the rolls within the next couple of hours, individually wrap each spring roll in cellophane wrap and store in the fridge.

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Creamy Avocado and Chickpea Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Vegan, No Oil)

Need an easy, delicious, and healthy dinner? Well, here it is!

These stuffed sweet potatoes are packed with flavor, loaded with chickpeas, and are awesomely avocadreamy (aka avocado - dreamy! :p get it?)!

Ingredients:

5 large sweet potatoes 
1/2 cup finely chopped red or white onion
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell peppers
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 to 2 cups boiled or canned chickpeas
2 avocados
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1-4 green chili peppers (according to taste)
1 tablespoon salt (or, according to taste)
1 teaspoon pepper (or, according to taste) 

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes.  Then, bake covered at 400 degrees until tender (about 1 hour).
2. Let the potatoes cool to a working temperature.
3. With a knife, trace and cut a large rectangle in the skin of one side of each potato.  Peel off the skin.
4. With a spoon or fork, scoop 2/3 of the insides of the sweet potato out and into a separate bowl (to be used in the filling).  Be gentle as you want to keep the shape of the sweet potato intact. 
5. In the separate bowl, mash the scooped sweet potato.
6. Add in the chopped onion, bell peppers, green onion, and chickpeas. Mix well and set aside.
7. In a blender, blend the avocado, cilantro, lemon juice, water, chili peppers, salt, and pepper until you get a smooth dressing. Note: this should taste salty as this dressing will be used to flavor the rest of the filling.
8. Combine the avocado dressing with the other ingredients.
9. Stuff the sweet potatoes with the filling.
10.  Serve either at room temperature or heated!  

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Super Creamy Macaroni Salad (Vegan, No Oil)

This is the creamiest vegan macaroni salad I have ever had. And, no mayo! The magic ingredient: silken tofu! This recipe is adapted from Minimalist Baker (go check her out!). Oh, p.s., this is INCREDIBLY EASY.

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked/drained macaroni  (white or whole wheat, follow instructions on packet)
1 cup diced celery
1/2 red bell pepper diced
1/2 cup diced purple onion
1 12oz packet silken tofu (you must use silken or the recipe won't work!)
2-3 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper (if desired)

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. In a large bowl, combine diced veggies and drained macaroni. Set aside.
2. Using a blender, blend the silken tofu, agave nectar, yellow mustard, rice vinegar, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and chili pepper (optional) together until smooth and well mixed.
3. Pour the sauce over the macaroni and diced veggies. Stir until the macaroni is well coated.
4. Enjoy right away OR refrigerate for a couple of hours for an even tastier salad (it tastes better if the macaroni has had a chance to sit in the sauce)!
5. Store your leftovers in the fridge, if you have any!

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Rosemary Sweet Potato Rolls (Vegan)

Oh, the joy of side-dishes. These rolls are soft, lightly sweet, savory, and incredibly delicious. These sweet potato infused rolls of deliciousness create a perfect blend of flavors. Enjoy these rolls with vegan margarine, butter, or some jam.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon instant yeast

1/2 cup warm almond milk (not hot, yet warm to touch)
1/2 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato
2 tablespoons oil, plus some for brushing
2 flax-eggs (requires 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal and 6 tablespoons of water)
3 to 3 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons sesame seeds and/or chia seeds for sprinkling

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. In a bowl, make your flax eggs by mixing two tablespoons of flax seed meal with 6 tablespoons of water. Stir until well-mixed and let the mixture sit until gooey. This takes about 10 minutes.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the yeast and warm almond milk. Let sit for a few minutes until the mixture is foamy (if the mixture does not foam, your milk may have been too hot or your yeast is no longer active). 
3. Add in the mashed sweet potato, oil, and flax seed mixture to the yeast. Mix well.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rosemary, salt, and flour. Once combined, add in the wet ingredients from Step 3. Mix well.
5. On a clean, and lightly floured surface, begin kneeading the dough by hand for about 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and somewhat tacky. Add more flour or water as needed.
6. Return the dough to the large mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 and 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
7. Punch down the dough and divide the dough into 12 equal sized pieces. Place the rolls in a greased 9x13 pan, leaving 1 inch between each roll. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise in a warm place for another 1/2 hour.
8. When doubled in size (do not worry if the rolls are now touching as they will still keep their shape), brush the tops of the rolls with oil and sprinkle sesame seeds or chia seeds on top.
9. Bake the rolls for 18 minutes at 400 degrees. The rolls will be a golden color on top.
10. Serve the rolls warm with vegan margarine, butter, or jam. Enjoy!

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Zucchini Fries

Want a healthy yet addictive appetizer or side to go with dinner? Zucchini is where it's at! These fries are crispy, tasty, and healthy. Give it a try!

Ingredients:

1 medium round zucchini, cut into thin strips (or 2 to 3 standard zucchinis)

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup almond milk

1 cup bread crumbs (I like Italian-style best)

Cayenne Pepper (optional, but recommended)

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Lightly grease a baking pan and set oven temperature to 425 degrees.
2. Mix the flour, salt, cayenne pepper, and bread crumbs together.
3. Dip each zucchini strip into the almond milk and then into the crumb mixture. Place on baking pan.
4. Repeat until all zucchini strips have been coated.
5. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes based on your desired crispiness level. I like mine crispy so I usually bake mine longer!
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Sesame Chickpea Dinner Rolls (Vegan)

Ah, the wonder of chickpeas! I love gram flour (aka chickpea flour or besan) because it is a staple in Indian cuisine. However, I wanted to try something different by substituting gram flour into a dinner roll recipe that normally uses all purpose flour. Since chickpea flour contains less gluten and has more protein, you cannot entirely replace the all purpose flour with gram flour. As such, I discovered the perfect substitution amount - replace 1/4 of the all purpose flour with gram flour. The texture of the dinner rolls is not impacted and the flavor is excellent!

Ingredients:

2 and 1/4 teaspoon (1 package) yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup gram flour (aka chickpea flour or besan)
3/4 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons vegan butter (or, substitute coconut oil)
Sesame seeds for topping

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. In a mug, microwave the almond milk and butter until it is the temperature of bath water. It should not be hot! For me, this took about 45 seconds on high when the almond milk was used directly out of the fridge. Now, stir in the yeast and let sit. The mixture should foam up within five minutes. If it hasn't your yeast is either no longer active (go buy more from the store) or your almond milk/butter combination was too hot and killed the yeast.
2. While waiting for the yeast to foam, combine 1 cup of all purpose flour with the salt.
3. Pour in the foamy yeast/almond milk/ butter mixture into the flour mixture. Mix thoroughly so that there are no clumps of flour.
4. Add in the last 1/2 cup of all purpose flour. Mix thoroughly so that there are no clumps of flour.
5. Add in 1/2 cup of gram flour. Mix thoroughly so that there are no clumps of flour. The dough should be soft. Knead with your hands until the dough becomes elastic and smooth.
6. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes, covering the bowl with plastic wrap.
7. Divide the dough into 9 pieces and shape into balls. Place in a greased 8x8 inch dish. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. The dough should now be doubled in size. The biscuits should like this after the rise:

8. Bake the dinner rolls at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. The dinner rolls should be a light golden color when done. See below:

9. Serve warm with your desired toppings (vegan margarine, jam, etc)!

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Fluffy Pretzel Buns

My husband introduced me to Costco's Pretzel Slider Buns / Rolls a year ago and I could not have enough! But, why buy from Costco when you can make it yourself?! By taking tips from Sally's Baking Addiction and Like Mother Like Daughter, I can successfully say that I won't be going to Costco for these buns anymore!

These are so fluffy, soft, and easy to make. I highly recommend making these even if you are a first-timer. The steps are not difficult, but they do require a very crucial step of boiling the buns for 20 to 30 seconds in baking soda water prior to baking.

If you end up trying out this recipe, please do let me know how it goes! 


Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups warm water (not hot, and about the temperature of warm bath water)
 2 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon white table sugar
2 tablespoons melted margarine plus additional for brushing the tops of the buns
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 and 3/4 cups all purpose flour
Salt for topping
Oil for greasing pan

For boiling bath:
1/2 cup baking soda
9 cups water

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. In a bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and white table sugar together. Let the solution stand for about 5 minutes. The solution should become foamy and expand. If this does not happen, your water may have been too hot or your yeast is no longer active. Do not take shortcuts on this step!

2. Mix in the melted margarine (warm, but not hot) and tablespoon of brown sugar.

3. Add in one cup of all purpose flour and mix until dough is the consistency of a pancake batter with no clumps. Then, add in the second cup of all purpose flour. At this point, begin mixing with your hands. Once thoroughly mixed, add in the third cup of all purpose flour. The dough should now be somewhat sticky. Add in the remaining 3/4 cups of flour and knead until all flour is combined. The dough will be somewhat stiff. Continue kneading dough for about 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Shape the dough into a ball and place back into bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes in a warm place.

5. The dough will be double its size. Take off the plastic wrap and punch down the dough. Knead dough a few times in the bowl and break the dough into 12 equal parts. Roll each part into a ball.
6. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Foil and grease a 9x11 pan. Set aside.
7. In a large saucepan, combine the baking soda with 9 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
8. Once ready, drop one to two dough balls into the boiling baking soda bath. Boil for 20 to 30 seconds (but, not longer as flavor could be compromised). Remove bun(s) with a slotted spatula or spoon. Allow any excess liquid to drain. Place bun(s) on the foiled and greased pan. Repeat until all 12 buns have been dropped into the baking soda bath and placed on pan (it is okay if the buns touch). Sorry, no shortcuts on this step!!!
9. With a knife, make a few slashes in each bun. Do not worry if your buns look ugly, they will look great after baking!
10. Melt 1 to 2 tablespoons of margarine and brush on top of each bun. Sprinkle salt (any type --- I used plain table salt, but other recipes have used course salt).
11. Bake buns at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. The buns should be a darker golden brown.
12. Remove from oven and enjoy!

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Fluffy and Healthy Pizza Dough

This recipe is my go-to pizza dough as the cooked dough is soft and fluffy. I have used this recipe many times with a variety of different sauces and toppings. Enjoy!

PS: Photos were updated on June 8, 2018. 

Cooked Vegan, No Oil Pizza

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups warm water (not hot, about warm bathtub temperature)
 1 tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Uncooked Vegetarian Pizza

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Add yeast to warm water and stir. Leave for 5 to 10 minutes until water becomes foamy. If the water does not foam up, your yeast may no longer be active or your water was too warm.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

3. Add in the foamy yeast water into the dry ingredients and knead until all the flour has been incorporated. Keep kneading for about 10 additional minutes.

4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour in a warm place (I usually place it into a cooled oven).

5. When the dough has doubled (or, sometimes even tripled), knead dough again for a few minutes with flour on your hands as the dough will be extra sticky. Form a large ball of dough. Place plastic wrap on the bowl again and let rise for another 30 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Press out dough onto a foiled pizza pan (or two, if you want thinner crusts). You may consider lightly greasing the pan to make sure the dough comes off nicely (but, I have done it without oil and it has turned out just fine with a bit of strategic fork use). Place your desired toppings on the pizza (fun vegan fact: nutritional yeast is a good substitute for cheese).

7. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until the edges of the crust are golden brown. Bake longer if you chose to make a thick crust.

Uncooked Vegan, No Oil Pizza

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Eggplant, Mushroom, and Lentil Lasagna

This recipe is a modified version of a lentil eggplant lasagna by Minimalist Baker. All credit should go to her for the creativity in making a sauce that tastes so incredibly cheesy and a cheese that tastes nothing like tofu (yes, all completely vegan).

Ingredients:

12 lasagna noodles boiled and drained
3 medium white or purple eggplants
5 white mushrooms, diced into small pieces
10 white mushrooms sliced
8 medium tomatoes, diced into large pieces
1/2 onion, diced into small pieces
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon oregano
1 can of tomato paste
Salt
Chopped green chile peppers if desired
1 and 1/2 cups water (or, more if needed)
1 and 1/2 cups rinsed and drained lentils
1 12 ounce block of extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon black pepper

Instructions:

Note: please consider the techniques discussed by Minimalist Baker in the link above if you are unsure about one of the steps below. She has provided expert advise on technique!

1. Thinly slice eggplants and soak in water for 10 minutes. Drain eggplant slices and place on a paper towel for another 10 minutes.

2. Salt the eggplant slices lightly and place on a foiled and greased baking sheet.

3. Bake eggplant slices at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

4. While eggplants are baking, place diced mushrooms (not sliced), tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, thyme, oregano, lentils, and 1 and 1/2 cups of water into a saucepan. Boil and stir (occasionally) until you have a thick sauce and the lentils are fully cooked (adding additional water as needed). Add salt and other spices to taste as desired. The final sauce should taste like a cheesy and texture-filled marinara sauce.

5. In a blender or food processor, add tofu, nutritional yeast, cilantro, thyme, black pepper, and green chile peppers (as much as desired). Add in 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Blend until you have a pureed mixture with cilantro still somewhat intact.

6. In a baking dish, place a layer of lasagna noodles on the bottom. Layer with sauce. Layer with eggplant slices, Layer with tofu filling. Layer with sliced mushrooms. Layer with sauce. Repeat until all your eggplant, mushrooms, tofu filling, and noodles are used. Make sure to have enough sauce to drench the entire top of the lasagna.

7. Cover the baking dish with tin foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Then, remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

8. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle top with nutritional yeast (if desired). Cut into pieces with a serrated knife. And, enjoy!

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