Vegan Eggplant and Spinach Lasagna & Kale Avocado Salad {YUM!}

Last night for supper, we had lasagna and salad - vegan style!! It was delicious! I researched a few recipes online and got some ideas - like using tofu to mimic ricotta cheese.  Honestly, I was a little nervous about using tofu, but it worked great in the recipe. I would NEVER eat tofu any other way! And I wasn't expecting to like the texture of the whole grain pasta, but I really couldn't tell too much of a difference - thankfully!! So, I ended up combining several recipes to make my own little concoction - which may be why I was surprised it tasted so good! ;)

Best part?? Leftovers for Sunday lunch!! 

Vegan Eggplant and Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 box whole grain lasagna noodles

1 14 oz pkg firm tofu

2 Tbs minced garlic

1 bag frozen, chopped spinach - defrosted

1 large eggplant, sliced and cooked

2 jars pasta sauce 

{I have been making my own with organic diced tomatoes and other seasonings and it is soooo tasty!!}

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

nutritional yeast and cashew powder

{This is made by blending nutritional yeast and raw cashews until desired consistency - think Parmesan cheese! I did about equal parts of each, but that really is personal preference.}

 Start by sautéing mushrooms, onion, and peppers.

Blend the tofu and minced garlic in a blender until it is the consistency of ricotta cheese. 

Spread a thin layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of a lasagna pan.

Layer the ingredients in the following order:

lasagna noodles, tofu mixture, spinach, eggplant, mushroom mixture, sauce

I had enough to do two layers ending with sauce.  

Top with Roma tomatoes and nutritional yeast/cashew powder.

Bake at 375° for about 45 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the lasagna noodles.

Kale Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch large leaf kale - not sure of the real name, but it is NOT the curly leaf kale

1 avocado

1 lemon

sea salt and pepper

Cut the kale into bite-size pieces.

Mash the avocado over the bowl - literally with your hands!

Squeeze lemon juice on top.

Massage the ingredients together until the kale leaves are coated in yummy goodness.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

{Tim and I were the only ones who ate this...next time I will half the recipe as it's best eaten fresh.}

This girl cleaned her plate! :)

For dessert, we had kiwi-strawberry-banana smoothies made with crushed iced and coconut milk.