Zucchini Casserole with Cashew Crumble Topping
I found myself this week with an abundance of zucchinis. I don’t particularly love them raw or in salad, so I found a way to get creative with serving them which I’m pretty stoked on!
I found a basic recipe from The Minimalist Baker, which gave me the idea for this dish, and then added my own twist by adding extra veggies I happened to have on hand that I thought would pair nicely - shiitake mushies and tomatoes.
As I type this, the dish itself is cooling on the stove and the smell is heavenly. Rich and creamy and hearty - I wish I could convey it though my words!
Ingredients:
1 white or yellow onion
olive oil
2 or 3 large zucchinis, depending on size
About a cup of sliced mushrooms (I love shiitakes for this)
1 or 2 large sliced tomatoes, or a cup or so of cherry tomatoes, halved
for the topping:
1 cup raw cashews
3 tbs nutritional yeast
1 tbs garlic powder
dash salt & pepper
Directions:
Heat the oven at 400 degrees.
Slice the onion into thin half-moons and sauté on high heat with a little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper for a few minutes, until they are translucent and slightly browned. Set them aside for now.
In a food processor or blender, blend together the cashews, nooch, garlic powder, and a dash of salt until it’s crumbly and powder-y. Set that aside.
Now, slice the zucchinis into little round disks. Put them in a large mixing bowl and add a dash of olive oil and a spoonful of the cashews topping. Mix it all together well with your hands.
In a large baking pan, layer first the sautéed onions on the bottom evenly. Then, arrange the zucchini disks in a pattern that pleases you. I like to layer then in a circular pattern.
Now get creative with the mushrooms and tomatoes! I like to create a little space in the center of the dish and put them in there, and then arrange the tomatoes around the edge of the dish. Make it pretty! Or not! It’ll taste amazing either way.
Evenly pour the cashew mixture of the top of the veggies, and bake at 400 for about 30 minutes.