Hey everyone! I hope you all have enjoyed the weekend. I am up to my elbows in meal prep for the week, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It has been a cold and dreary weekend here in Atlanta, so might as well hang out inside and cook up some yummy food for the latest round of the @cookwithus contest hosted by the awesome crew of @chefsteve, @pandamama and @offoodandart. This week they decided to use my idea of a version of a Secret Santa for the theme! The hardest part was narrowing down which awesome Steemian to dedicate my dish to.

Though I wish I could cook for each and every one of my pals on here, this yummy plate of vegan lasagna is going to my girl @delishtreats! Besides just inspiring me every week with her top notch posts full of stunning photography, this gal knows how to spread some love with heartfelt thoughtful comments all around the blockchain. To top it all off, she is working on a huge donation to honor the spirit of giving this season. She might have also mentioned to me recently that the vegan scene is still quite small in her neck of the woods, so I wish I could give this to her in person!

I have had a box of lentil-based lasagna noodles in the pantry just waiting to be used for quite a while now. For whatever reason I don't often make lasagna, though it is a fantastic holiday meal to share with family or friends! It can take a little bit to put together on the front end, but it makes for some banging leftovers and can feed a crowd.

Of course most people equate lasagna with lots of cheese and maybe even a meat sauce, but there are tons of ways to omit the animal products for a vegan version. I opted for a "white sauce" instead of the traditional red sauce as it lends itself to being cheesy without having to use actual cheese. Nutritional yeast once again makes a solid appearance in the sauce, but some white beans, cashews and sun-dried tomatoes made up the bulk of it to give the texture I was looking for. I haven't used rosemary in quite a while, so I thought it would be a fantastic earthy herb to add some great flavor with all of the other ingredients.

I probably could have used even more mushrooms in the filling, but luckily I had enough to make a solid showing in the veggie layers. My local farmers market was closed yesterday due to the nasty weather, so I had to forage at the grocery store this time around. The arugula from the store is nowhere near as good as the fresh bunches from the hydroponic stand, but for a filling in a baked lasagna it still did the trick. The tofu ricotta I used in a previous entry made another appearance to round out my lasagna stuffing!

For never having made this version before I was exceptionally happy with how it came out! I would serve this to any of my pals, virtual or in person. I was a little worried that the noodles wouldn't cook up well even though the box said there was no need to boil ahead of time. I could have perhaps used just a little more liquid in my sauce to keep the top layer a bit more moist, but my taste-tester @dksart wasn't complaining one bit. A little bit of fresh parsley from the garden topped it off for a delicious cozy bite on a cold winter day!

Mushroom & Arugula Lasagna w/ White Bean Sauce

Serves 8

For the sauce:

• 2 cups cooked white beans
• 1/2 cup soaked raw cashews
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (soak those if needed, as well)
• 2 cups filtered water
• 2 tablespoons mild white miso
• 1/2 lemon, juice
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 heaping tablespoons fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Lasagna:

• 1 (8-ounce) box green lentil lasagne noodles
• 1 (14-ounce) package firm organic tofu, drained
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 large shallots, peeled & sliced
• 5 gloves minced fresh garlic
• 1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms
• 5 ounces fresh arugula, roughly chopped
• chopped fresh herbs like parsley for serving

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place all of your sauce ingredients into a high speed blender. Blend on high until creamy. Taste and adjust to your liking. Set aside while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.

Mash the tofu in a large bowl with the seasoning, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar and sea salt to make the "ricotta". Set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add your shallots. Cook for about 7 minutes, or until the shallots have started so soften. Add the garlic and the mushrooms. Pour in a tablespoon or two of water as needed to prevent sticking. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms have just started to soften but haven't cooked all the way through. Remove from heat and stir in the arugula.

To assemble the lasagna spread a layer of the bean sauce into the bottom of a 9" x 12" casserole dish. Next place your first layer of the noodles. Top with half of the veggie mixture from the skillet and half of the tofu ricotta. Spread another layer of the sauce, then repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining veggies and tofu, and another bit of sauce. Finish it off with the last of the noodles and spread the remaining sauce on top.

Cover the dish then place in the oven and cook for 45-50 minutes. The noodles should be cooked all the way through and your house should smell like heaven!

Scoop out a portion and serve with some fresh chopped herbs on top!

Thanks to @dksart for helping me with the gif of the lasagna layers! I suppose it's a fair trade for a plate of this for lunch. 😉

I hope you all spread lots of love and cheer this holiday season--through cooking or in any other way you find joy!

Banners by @jaynie, @woman-onthe-wing, @dksart and @bearone for @steemusa