Vegetable Terrine

This is pretty similar to a lot of the "raw" lasagne recipes out there, but I prefer to call it a terrine because I like that word. It sounds gourmet. :-)

I also like to use lots of very, very thin layers of vegetables and spreads to stick them together, instead of big thick layers of various things. I've tried to make raw lasagne with thick layers and the whole thing just glops apart. I love the aesthetic of many thin layers too.

So obviously, I'm not an expert at the thin layers method yet, but I'm getting better. Some of the sauces are still glopping out, but I had to post this because it tastes SO good.

4 zucchinis
5 vine-grown tomatoes
bunch fresh basil
1 or 2 cups of baby spinach
2 carrots
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, soaked until soft
1 cup cashews, soaked 1 hour
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1/2 lemon
sea salt
1/2 cup of pitted olives, any kind
pinch chili seeds or other spicy seasoning . i like the Asian garlic-chili paste. It's pickled.
A little olive oil (optional)

peel the zucchini and carrot , and cut the zucchini down the middle lengthwise. Then push each half through the mandoline slicer until there is none left (the long way) so you get long flat strips of zucchini. You can just use a peeler to make long thin strands of carrot. Put all that aside.

Put the tomatoes (quartered and de-seeded) , sundried tomatoes, a big handful of basil, and one clove of garlic in the cuisinart with a small dash of salt. this makes the most heavenly tomato sauce you've ever had. Go ahead and add a little olive oil too, if you want. It's heaven. I can't say this enough times. You have to use those lovely vine-ripened tomatoes though, for the flavor.

clean out the cuisinart. drain the cashews. pour them into the cuisinart. add the nutritional yeast, the lemon,and the garlic and whirl it all around until it's a very smooth paste. Like hummus. this is in lieu of ricotta cheese, there are tons of recipes for this on the raw blogs, so use any you want. Some use cashews, some macadamia nuts, some pine nuts. Go for it. I use cashews mostly because they are the most affordable (and tasty).

if you don't have a Magic Bullet, clean out the cuisinart again. :-) sick of that yet? I guess you don't really have to, but I'm big on preserving the unique flavors of each of my various mixes. Add the olives, a little olive oil - just a dab - and a pinch of chili. Whirl it around til it's yet another paste.

Now you're ready to build.

1. put down one strip of zucchini on a plate. use a knife to thinly - thinly!- smear some cashew ricotta on it. then add 2 or 3 baby spinach leaves. Dab each leaf with a dab of Olive spread. Layer some carrot peelings on top of that and some more spinach leaves. Add a thin layer of tomato sauce on top of that. Then put down another zucchini slice on top of that and do the whole thing again. If you have any fresh basil left over layer that in too. Be creative. Add mandolin-sliced red peppers marinated in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, add red or green onions, add mushrooms, whatever sounds good just thin slice it and layer it up. Use the cashew ricotta, olive spread, and tomato sauce to hold the whole thing together.

This is a great , healthy alternative to unhealthy pasta- and-cheese lasagne. And it doesn't take anywhere near as much time or effort, and, I am pretty sure it's safe to say, costs far less, too.

Don't forget to average in the energy cost of baking in the oven when you think about the price of preparing raw foods versus cooked. :-)