Raw Zucchini and Tomato Lasagna

I have this weird habit when I eat where I pick through my food and eat the things I dislike first.  A couple of months ago I came up with a theory about this.  I think the way that I eat is similar to the way I live my life: I always put work before pleasure.

Although this has served me well and gotten me to where I am today, this way of life has more flaws than benefits.  When you eat the things you dislike first, you become full by the time you get to the stuff you enjoy.  Same with life.  If you spend all your time putting work before everything else, you have very little time and room in your life to do the things that bring you the most joy.  In a lot of ways I think that kids may have it right... maybe dessert before dinner makes total sense.

For the past couple of months I've been making it a priority to schedule in time for rest, breaks, and things I find pleasurable.  And then today I noticed something new.  I didn't dismantle this lasagna and eat the zucchini first (which I would have done in the past).  Instead, I ate it together.  I think this might be a sign of more-balanced living and good things to come.

If you are wondering what the heck to do with your abundance of summer zucchini, this lasagna is the answer.  This recipe is simple, doesn't require a stove (thank goodness!), and uses the best of summer's bounty: squash, tomatoes, and basil.  I also love this raw nut "cheese" and it adds the perfect bit of fat and flavor to complement these beautiful tomatoes.




Once you have your ingredients, we start with the layers...

Tomatoes.

Basil.

And tomatoes.

I happened to have cherry tomatoes on hand, but you could definitely use large heirloom tomato slices instead. This recipe is very flexible and you can easily substitute other fillings if desired.  If you don't want to use the raw almond cheese, raw pesto also adds a fabulous flavor to this lasagna.

Raw Zucchini and Tomato Lasagna
Serves 2

1 zucchini
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonade
Raw almond cheese (see recipe below)
freshly-ground pepper

Chop ends off of zucchini and cut zucchini in half.  Use a mandolin or very sharp knife to slice zucchini into thin slices.  Lay two slices side-by-side and then top with fillings, layering between more zucchini slices. Garnish with pepper and serve.

Raw Almond "Cheese"
1/3 cup raw almonds
1/8 teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 - 3 tablespoons water, or more as needed
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

Soak almonds in water for at least 1 hour, then drain. Add almonds to a food processor with salt, nutritional yeast, and 1 tablespoon of water to start.  Scrape down the sides of the processor and add more water as necessary until it reaches a consistency similar to ricotta.  Add the chives at the last second and pulse until incorporated.

Recipe submitted to Wellness Weekend