Today was positively beautiful in Pittsburgh! It was one of those first warm days where everyone seemed to be out and about. I loved it.
Dinner was exceptional! I got the idea for my Veggie Casserole while reading Sarah Kramer’s La Dolce Vegan.
Veggies Don’t Ya Want Some–A Vegan Casserole
An Fringe Benefits Original
Ingredients
Base
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic gloves, minced
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 1 head of broccoli, finely chopped
- 1 large red, orange or yellow pepper (I used orange)
- 2 cups of fresh spinach
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Topping
- 1/2 cup extra firm tofu
- 1/2 cup vegan “cheese” (I used the Trader Joe’s brand this time).
- 3 slices of bread, chopped into cubes–I used a Tuscan loaf. Try to use something chewy/tough
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large skillet, saute the onion on medium heat with the tbsp. of olive oil until it is translucent.
Add the garlic, broccoli, carrots, red pepper, spinach and vegetable stock. Cook 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
While your veggies are cooking, blend or use your food processor to process the tofu, “cheese” and vegetable stock until creamy.
In a medium bowl, mix the blended ingredients with the bread, sea salt, black pepper, dried oregano and dried basil.
Put your veggies in a 13×6 baking dish and spread the topping evenly over them.
Put the dish in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
I have to say, I was weary of this dish at first and was unsure of how the topping would turn out.
It was OH-SO-GOOD!
We really enjoyed the chunky bread and cheesy taste on top of the veggies.
The HSFS: onion, garlic, broccoli, orange pepper, spinach, tofu, sea salt and black pepper.
8 HAIR STRENGTHENING FOODS in this delicious dish! 
After our yummy dinner, we ended this beautiful day with a stroll in Mellon Park.
Perfect.
Have a wonderful night. I am very near curling up in my cozy bed!
xo-A
