Roasted Veggie Gratin With Italian Herbs

Everybody likes roasted vegetables, right? But, let’s be honest, not everyone cares for Brussels sprouts. Well, I love them and incorporated quite a bunch of them into this recipe. You don’t? No problem! You can easily substitute my beloved Brussels with your favorite veggies. That’s why I called it ‘roasted veggie gratin’. Brussels sprouts or not, you will absolutely love the thick and creamy cashew cheese sauce that goes on top to bring your gratin to perfection.

Remember to soak cashews for at least 4 hours!

You will need:

• high speed blender for cashew cheese sauce
• large casserole/baking dish (about 9 x 14 inches/23 x 35 cm)

Ingredients:

For the roasted veggies:

• 2 lb (900 g) potatoes, cut into about 1/2 inch (generous 1 cm) slices
• 2 lb (900 g) Brussels sprouts, ends removed, halved
• 14 oz (400 g) plum- or cherry tomatoes, pierced with a knife
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp or more crushed red pepper (optional, if you like it a little spicy)
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil

For the cashew cheese sauce:

• generous 1 1/2 cups (210 g) raw, unsalted cashew, soaked overnight or for at least 4 hours, drained
• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) filtered water
• 1 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 6 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 cloves garlic

For the cashew Parmesan (alternatively, you can also use store-bought vegan Parmesan):

• 1 cup (140 g) raw, unsalted cashews
• 1 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast

To garnish:

• fresh rosemary sprigs
• fresh thyme
• some tomato slices

Preparation:

Set the oven to ‘broil’ and leave the rack in the middle. Don’t put it any closer to the heat source, like you would usually do for broiling.

Wash and cut vegetables.

Place the vegetables into a large bowl. Add all the remaining roasted-veggie ingredients and toss until everything is well coated.

Transfer veggies to either one large or two smaller rimmed baking sheets. 2 small ones seem to work better for me. Place on middle rack into the heated oven.

After about 8-10 minutes (set timer and keep checking for color!), remove baking sheet(s) from oven. Use a spatula to roughly turn vegetables. Return them into the oven for another 8-10 minutes until browned and slightly charred. Keep checking for color!

While veggies are roasting, you can make the cashew cheese sauce.

Place all the ‘cheese’ sauce ingredients into your high speed blender. Blend at high speed for about 2 minutes until very creamy.

When vegetables are ready transfer them to the casserole/baking dish, turn off broiler, and set oven temperature to 400° F (200° C).

Pour cashew cheese sauce right on top ….

….. and spread it evenly over the roasted vegetables. I added 3 sprigs of rosemary as well.

Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place all the cashew Parmesan ingredients into your blender or food processor. Pulse until a crumbled-Parmesan-like texture is achieved.

Remove gratin from the oven and sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of cashew Parmesan.

Garnish with some tomato slices and return into the oven for another 10-15 minutes. When your gratin is ready, top it off with lots of fresh herbs, serve with the remaining Parmesan on the side, and enjoy!

Notes:

• As mentioned before, you can use store-bought vegan Parmesan instead of the homemade. Personally, I really like the nutty texture of cashew Parmesan. It’s also less expensive, and you know the ingredients.
• When you substitute with other vegetables, keep in mind that some, like asparagus and bell pepper, only need half the time when you broil them!