Italian Girl’s Vegan, Gluten-Free Lasagna & Sauce

by Amanda Migliaccio

Garden Fresh Sauce:
-24+ Roma tomatoes
-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
-approximately ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
-approximately 1-2 tablespoons each of fresh oregano and parsley
-Himalayan sea salt and pepper to taste

Gluten-Free Vegan Lasagna with Cashew Ricotta:
-1pound of cashews (or nut of choice, see below) soaked over night with a dash of Himalayan sea salt
-2 teaspoons garlic powder
-¼ cup nut milk (I use unsweetened almond milk, or coconut creamer)
-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
-½ teaspoon lemon juice
-handful (or more) of spinach
-½ cup fresh herbs basil, parsley, oregano- chopped or 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb blend
-1 tablespoon agave nectar (optional)
-salt and pepper to taste
-gluten-free lasagna noodles

Preheat oven at 350 degrees, bring two large pots of water to a boil.

Once water in pots have come to a boil, add cleaned tomatoes to one, and allow to boil until softened and skin begins to wrinkle. Add Gluten Free lasagna noodles to the other.

Drain tomatoes and add to a large bowl filled with ice and water. Peel tomato skin off, and toss aside.

Drain pasta, and rinse, and set aside.

In a food processor place tomatoes, crushed garlic, and herbs. Pulse until desired consistency.  Transfer to another bowl. Clean out processor, and add cashew ricotta ingredients.

In a Pyrex dish, coat the bottom with a light amount of fresh tomato sauce. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, a layer of the cashew ricotta, and then sauce.

Continue to layer until all noodles are used, and top with a layer of sauce.  Bake in the oven for about 40-50 minutes.  Garnish with fresh herbs.

No-Cacao Chocolate Milk Juice

by Casey Lorraine Thomas

-2 ¼ pounds carrots
-1 head cos lettuce (romaine)
-5-6 ounces baby spinach (or use a larger leaf spinach if you have a centrifugal juicer like a Breville)
-4 drops chocolate stevia, or more to taste

Put the carrots, cos and spinach through a juicer.

Strain juice through a nut milk bag (or a cheesecloth or muslin cloth) until smooth and without pulp.

Add stevia to taste.

Sensational Bean Salad

by Whole Food Mommies

-1 can of kidney beans, drained
-1 can of pinto beans, drained
-1 can of black-eyed peas, drained
-1 red bell pepper, chopped
-1 cup of corn
-1 cup of edamame (or peas)
-½ bunch cilantro, chopped
-1 packet Italian Dressing Mix (this is a powder not a liquid)
-2 tablespoon olive oil
-3 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar (or white vinegar)
-Juice from 1 lime (about 1 ½ tablespoon)
-1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)

Combine all the above ingredients into a bowl and either serve immediately or let it chill in the refrigerator.

Happy Farmers Market Salad

by Tara Miko Grayless of Happy Hemp

-1 cucumber
-2 tomatoes
-1/2 cup happy hemp
-1/4 cup basil
-1 avocado
-salt and pepper
-olive oil

Dice cucumber, tomatoes and  avocado into a bowl. Chop basil and add to above. Add happy hemp. Drizzle with olive oil and mix together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Raw Fig Bars

by Rachael Kemery

-15 figs, stems removed and roughly chopped
-10 dates, roughly chopped
-1/2 cup walnuts, soaked or dry
-1/2 cup almonds, soaked or dry
-1/2 cup pecans, soaked or dry
-1/8 cup raisins (I used golden)
-2 teaspoon maca powder
-1/8 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract*
-1 tablespoon cacao nibs
-2 tablespoon unsweetened dried coconut flakes

Blend together in your food processor. Shape into whatever your heart desires (I chose to honor the fig newton- an old favorite of mine) and place in freezer or refrigerator for at least an hour. I prefer them in the freezer, but know that they will lose 30% of their nutrients in there.

*no worries if you don’t have alcohol-free vanilla. The other stuff will work too!