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1
Soak quinoa in water to remove the acidic outer layer.
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2
You can either soak it overnight or the day of, just try to soak for at least 7 hours.
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3
Once youre ready to prepare the dish, drain and rinse quinoa.
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4
Bring 2 cups water to a boil (a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water).
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5
Add quinoa and reduce to low heat.
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Depending on how much quinoa youre cooking, it could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour to get a nice, fluffy texture with all the moisture absorbed.
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7
While quinoa is cooking, heat a large pan with some extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil.
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8
Saute onion and garlic until golden brown.
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Put into a blender with fresh tomatoes, basil leaves, salt, and pepper.
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Blend until until everything is mixed.
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This will be your homemade tomato sauce.
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(Of course, you dont have to make it at home.
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If you prefer to buy sauce, thats totally fine.
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If you do make your own sauce, be sure that its thick and not watery, otherwise it will make the finished dish too loose.)
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In the same pan, saute slices of zucchini in oil until they are nice and browned on both sides.
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Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
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You can use the same seasonings for your quinoa once its cooked.
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Spoon quinoa into casserole dish, spread evenly, and smooth out.
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Pour tomato sauce over.
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Layer zucchini slices on top.
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Sprinkle a layer of vegan cheese on top.
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If you love basil, you could also put a few leaves straight onto the dish.
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Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
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It tastes best straight from the oven, after cooling down for a couple of minutes.
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25
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge.
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26
If you dont want to use quinoa as the base, you could use brown rice or millet.
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27
Or hey, some vegan and gluten-free lasagna, or whatever kind of pasta you like!
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And if you arent crazy about zucchini, substitute any veggie that sounds good.
