VeganWednesday Comfort Food: Veggie Lasagna with "Cheesy" Cauliflower Sauce (+ how a plant-based lifestyle changed our life)
As the loving and gorgeous @heart-to-heart started a new competition to spread the plant-based word among the steemit community and far beyond, I happily join her mission to get more plants into your life too. If you are no stranger to my blog then you already know that I love to create and especially eat plant-based dishes.
Just as my lovely friend pointed out, I'm not here to tell you that you should become a vegan, who am I to take control over your world and life. The choice is entirely up to you. In fact, I still have my very occasionally cheat days too ;), and that's just fine as long as you feel happy about it. I don't like labels and I love our 99 percent plant-based life.
Through this wonderful initiative and my own blog I just want to share what has happened to our little family the moment we decided to eat more plants and steer clear of processed foods. And that brings me to my first point
How a plant-based lifestyle changed our life
A while ago I wrote a post titled: Weekly Shots or Veggies? Preventing and Reversing Autoimmune Disease with Food (Real Life Experience)
Though I'm not gonna repeat myself, I'll quickly give you the short version because it is important. Ever since I did a 4-year after work/weekend course about nutrition and holistic health my hubby and I have been on a mission to improve our health.
Though I have a few minor issues such as an inherited heart rhythm condition and high levels of cholesterol, my husband has an autoimmune disease that attacks its own nerves and brain. For many years he had to inject himself with sick making, super expensive substances to suppress his immune system.
Bite-by-bite I started to incorporate the things I learned and over the years his flare-ups reduced until the moment he decided to quit the medication to see what happens... this has been 3 years now and he hasn't felt better in his entire life. He hasn't had a flare-up for more than 5 years and no meds.... only healthy food and regular exercise.
I have my heart condition and cholesterol under control, something the doctors said I would need meds for... so it seems I just needed more veggies and fruits... just as my hubby.
Though we only recently started to eat a nearly 100% percent plant-based diet (I finally convinced my hubby through showing him 2 documentaries" "Eatlings" and "What The Health" ), before that we only added meat or fish to 2 to 3 meals a week.... and I must say we are thriving on this new type of diet. Not only are we helping planet earth and its beautiful creatures.... our body very much approves what we are doing too.
Today we both feel so good that we made it our mission to spread the vibe and help others to steer clear of their health issues without taking meds that only cure the symptoms and never the root cause.... because that's not profitable, right.
Keeping people sick and dependent on meds generates more money than curing people through the power of food. Sad world... but people like @heart-to-heart and so many other health conscious people in the lovely steemit community are doing a great job in providing true health to the people.
If you want to learn more about our progress and how veggies and fruits improved our health, read the article I shared above.
Is the vegan diet the best diet to protect your health?
I CAN NOT SAY YES to that because that would simply be a lie. I know some vegans and they are actually the most unhealthy people I know. Yes, they eat plants only but instead of eating fresh, whole foods they rely on the processed vegan crap they sell at grocery stores. Which is in essence just the same as the unhealthy tv-dinners or fast-food so many people in the west eat.
Vegan has become a trend... and with that poisonous vegan food entered the market.... but I'll talk more about that in the next edition.
This is what healthy vegan food looks like before it is chopped and/or cooked.... no boxes, cans, or other processed stuff.
But I promised to keep it short. Think I failed again... what can I say... FOOD AND HEALTH ARE ONE OF MY PASSIONS.... AND CATS!
For now I want to leave you with a recipe of one of my favorite vegan comfort dishes.... LASAGNA! Who said plant-based food taste bland? Try this recipe and I'm sure you will reform that statement. Ever since I started to cook plant-based meals the flavor of my dishes has gone up dramatically.... you just have to do some research and don't fall for the processed crap they sell in the supermarkets or fast-food restaurants....
Veggie Lasagna with "Cheesy" Cauliflower Sauce
Ingredients (serves 3)
6-8 lasagna noodle sheets
1/2-1 cup panko
For the veggie sauce
2 cups zucchini, chopped
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups tomatoes, chopped
3 cup shredded kale
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried oregano
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1/4-1/2-cup water
For the "cheesy" cauliflower sauce
1 cups unsalted raw cashews, soaked to reduce phytic acids
3 cups cauliflower florets
2 clove of garlic
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
2 cups vegetable stock
1 small lime, juice only
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
- To make the tomato sauce, heat cooking oil over medium heat in a pot. Saute the onion for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring regularly. When the onion starts to soften, add garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in the zucchini and bell pepper and cook for 1 minute more.
- Then add the tomatoes, water, and herbs. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. last few minutes add kale and cook until wilted.
- Meanwhile, cook the cauliflower, garlic, and cashews to make the cheesy sauce in vegetable stock until the cauliflower is tender. When ready, drain but keep the cooking liquid to make the cheesy sauce. Add the cooked cauliflower, cashews and garlic to a blender with all other cheesy sauce ingredients and blend using cooking liquid as needed to get a cheesy, creamy consistency.
- Preheat oven to 200C or 400F.
- Layering: 1/3 of the tomato sauce, then add a pasta layer topped with 1/2 of the cheese sauce. Add another 1/3 of the tomato sauce, pasta layer, the remaining tomato sauce followed by the remaining cheese sauce. To finish top with panko breadcrumbs.
- Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Last few minutes turn on the grill and cook until nicely browned.
Thanks for reading! Until next time ღ ღ ღ
ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL!
PICTURE(s) TAKEN WITH FUJI X-M1
wow you look so fit and cute on the first pic with a coconut ...makes me wanna go green too . Thanks for sharing.
Aww thanks my friend for your lovely compliment. Healthy food and daily-ish exercise are all it takes ;) Have a beautiful day!
I agree with you, thanks for your response and keep up the good work.
That looks good and i must agree that many of the vegan foods at the grocery store. They are processed drunk food with not much substance. However the whole foods plants and vegetables can do wonders for your overall heath. Keep up the good work
Thanks @oneluv for your lovely comment. Let's spread the whole food word ;)
Thats lasagne looks delicious! :) I think that Plant based diet is the best for people. When I started eat this diet and more healthier I recognize that I feel better and not only my body, but also my mind :)
Thanks! I love vegan lasagnas and the power of plant-foods on our health. thanks for stopping by. have a great day!
Thank you for this nice information about the important of veggies and fruit, really what you did it's the right decision, because the nutrition is essential things for our health. And the medicine can't do anything if we aren't eat healthy food.
You are absolutely right! Food is the best medicine. Too bad doctors don't learn much about nutrition. Thanks for your comment @creativewoman!
Congratulations on your efforts!
Thanks @tikotiko!
All that food looks delicious @amy-goodrich!!
I include lots of veggies in my diet but my men got to have some meat... ;)
My hubby was the same. He was the biggest meat eater when we met 18 years ago. Seeing what the food did to his health and being able to come off his sick-making meds to treat MS did a lot. Recently, he watched two documentaries "earthlings" and "what the health"... which made him decide to try a 100% plant-based diet most of times. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Much appreciated.
Your today's recipe looks really tasty. Thank you so much for all your efforts :) UPVOTED & RESTEEMED
Aww, thanks @theinspirator! I'm so glad my recipes are inspiring you! Thanks so much for your continuous support!
You are welcome @amy-goodrich! Look forward to see more great recipes from you :)
Oh Amy, you always just grow my heart to another size. At some point it's going to take over my whole body. Where do I start?
First of all- I am overjoyed to hear about your success with food being the mend to your health problems- this is something we don't hear enough but has been proven time and time again to be more effective than anything else out there on shelves. I can't go down this rabbit hole. You know how I feel I think, I am positive we are in unison on this ;)
As for the labeling- again YES, YES and YES! I struggled with my tag, I changed it so many times because I have never identified with a label before I tried to put myself into one on here. Truthfully, I don't eat half the crap a normal vegan living in America, Europe or Australia might. I use these examples because I have seen the stores, read the packaging and refused to eat it.
However, in my attempt to collect a community to engage and support each other, I did end up choosing what I know to be a buzz word or trendy word to get people talking about this and thinking about their food choices based off of a diet that partially describes my own eating habits. I think you've hit the nail on the head with this not being inclusive nor a set in stone word that people need to adhere to in order to be able to be welcomed into this community, at least that is not my intent <3
The lasagna though... my only complaint is that I am actually stuffed to the brim right now from lunch and I can't even consider eating anything else right now. I did go get a cauliflower though and paid the premium to get it since you inspired me <3
Thank you so much for showing up to this new contest, I am hoping we can really get a close knit, loving community going here, forming friendships like the one you and I have been so lucky to have cultivated <3
Thanks again my gorgeous, talented, inspirational friend! XOXO
Thanks gorgeous! Like you mentioned the other day.... think we are virtual soul sister that need to meet up soon! We think, eat, and do similar things is life..... I am so happy this platform brought us together and I'm always happy to spread the plant-based or vegan word. even if it is a buzz word, I have seen what it did to our health and the health of many other people.... keep up the good work and if you need help with anything you do.... I'm here for you sister! A big virtual hug coming your way xxx Oh and you won't regret the cauliflower sauce.... it amazing!
Congrats on how you boosted the health of both of you with this plant based diet! I agree with what you said about this "vegan" processed foods. When I became vegetarian twenty years ago there were no things like vegan burgers or nuggets available in supermarkets yet. I had to learn to cook fresh and found "exotic" or unusual ingredients in the health shop.
I have to admit that nowadays I am not immune to buy such things but I agree fresh cooking is the best.
Thanks @pusteblume for sharing your thoughts. I have bought many veggie burgers in the past until they started to cause issues for me. The soy in them seriously messed up my hormonal system. Ever since I kindly declined on processed vegan/vegetarian food. These days we make our veggie patties at home and always make a big batch and freeze them for later. So easy and yum! Have a lovely day my friend.
Thank you! You too!