- one dozen manicotti shells
- two packages of firm tofu (minus one half cup)
- one packet of Italian seasoning (or use your own blend)
- one cup of vegan cheeze sauce (see notes below)
- two large cans of crushed tomato
- one can of tomato paste
- Italian seasonings (garlic, oregano, basil, etc)
- one can black olives, chopped coarsely
- one can green olives, chopped coarsely
- or any other veggies you like to add into tomato sauces
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees (F). Boil lots of water for the manicotti shells, so that the filling can be made while they’re cooking.
Filling:
Plop the two bricks of tofu into a bowl and mash with a potato masher or a fork until it looks like Ricotta cheese. Add in as much of the Italian seasoning packet as you want, or season it with your own special blend of herbs and spices like oregano, garlic, basil, and I like to throw in a bit of cumin for interest. Use your imagination. Pour in the vegan cheeze sauce and mix well.
For the cheeze sauce, I usually use a recipe from Joanne Stepaniak’s “UnCheese Cookbook” like Meunster (minus the agar). But for this purpose (because of copyright laws and because experimentation is fun) here is my modification. Mix in a blender the following things: tofu, raw cashews, tahini, nutritional yeast, seasonings (like garlic, onion powder and salt) and a little water and the juice of one lemon (these should all add up to about two cups or so, maybe a little more). Once everything is blended up nice, and you like the flavor, it’s ready to go. Note: if it tastes bland, add in more lemon juice. I found that this is crucial, and vinegar doesn’t really cut it in fake cheeze recipes.
Tomato Sauce:
Plop the canned tomato goods into a pot, add a tomato-paste-can full of water and heat and stir. Season with garlic powder or fresh garlic (I love a lot of garlic) and herbs. Add in chopped olives and other veggies if desired. Simmer until the flavors meld to your satisfaction.
Drain the manicotti and place in a pot of cold water. Line your baking dishes with a bit of the tomato sauce. Fill each shell with the seasoned tofu filling and place very close together in the baking pan. Cover with sauce so that no noodle bits are showing. Cover pan(s) with foil. Bake in 350 degree (F) oven for approx. 30 minutes, or until the sauce is nice and bubbly.
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