Veggie Lasagna from The Engine 2 Diet

I'd like to write a separate post on my thoughts on the documentary, Forks Over Knives, but it was from this source that I found The Engine 2 Diet book. The first recipe I tried was the Raise-the-Roof Sweet Potato-Vegetable Lasagna. It was super labor intensive, much like the Sunday I spent last week making the Lentil-Mushroom Burger but worth the effort!

I missed a few things in the madness of all the ingredients and activity! I forgot the silken tofu, cashews and I forgot the cook the sweet potato ahead of time among many other directions I did not follow precisely! In my impatience, I cut the sweet potatoes up in cubes and threw them in the mix. 

Flavor-wise, I thought it was good. I made it a bit too saucy (Anna agreed) and it was also slightly too tart. I'm excited to try it again though to improve it! It's a great leftover meal and I brought it to work with me the next day. It also tasted better!

Out of the oven!

Without mashed sweet potatoes and silken tofu :( but still good!

1 onion, chopped

1 small head of garlic, all cloves chopped or pressed

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 head broccoli, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1 can corn, rinsed and drained

1 package Silken Lite tofu

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon rosemary

2 jars pasta sauce

2 boxes whole grain lasagna noodles

16 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed

6 roma tomatoes, sliced thin

1 cup raw cashews, ground

Presheat oven to 400. Saute the onion and garlic on high heat for 3 minutes in a wok or nonstick pan. Add the mushrooms and cook until the onions are limp and the mushrooms give up their liquid. Remove them to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Reserve the mushroom liquid in the pan. Saute the broccoli and carrots for 5 minutes and add to the mushroom bowl. Saute the peppers and corn until just beginning to soften. Add them to the vegetable bowl. Drain the tofu by wrapping in paper towels. Break it up directly in the towel and mix into the vegetable bowl. Add spices to the vegetable bowl and combine.

To assemble:

Cover the bottom of the 9-by-13-inch casserole with a layer of sauce. Add a layer of noodles. Cover the noodles with sauce. This way the noodles cook in the oven, saving time and energy. Spread the vegetable mixture over the sauced noodles. Cover with a layer of noodles and another dressing of sauce. Add the spinach to the second layer of sauced noodles. cover the spinach with the mashed sweet potatoes. Add another layer of sauce, the final layer of noodles, and a last topping of sauce. Cover the lasagna with thinly sliced roma tomatoes. 

Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the cashews and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.