Vegan Kitchen Gone Wild: Stuffed Swiss Chard Leafs

My daughter and I went to our local health food store buying homemade tahini so I can make hummus for a event Saturday. I was looking at their vegetables and the only veggies I had on hand at home was red bell pepper, broccoli, carrots, and onions. At the store, I seen a bunch of organic Swiss chard...and it was very cheap too! An idea came across my mind...stuff them!

Stuffed Swiss Chard Leafs
This recipe is a little time consuming, but well worth it! We are going in steps.

Ingredient list:
10 medium to large Swiss chard leafs
1 12.3-oz pkg. firm Mori-Nu Silken tofu, drained, gently pressed on paper towel to soak up water
1 TBSP. Italian seasoning
1 TBSP. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. extra fine sea salt
1/2 pepper
1 c. diced onions
1 c. diced carrots
1 c. diced chard stems
1 red bell pepper, seeded & diced
2 heads of broccoli chopped small, steamed/cooked until almost fork tender
1 tsp. dried sweet basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. extra fine sea salt
1 1/2- 2 c. your favorite pasta sauce

Step 1....Prepping the leaves

-Cut off the stems and save them for further in the recipe. Cut the rib of the leaves into a 'V' Shape. See picture below.
-Boil a large pot of water....blanch the leaves a few at a time for 10-15 seconds.
-Take them out gently with a large slotted spoon and drip off the water. Lay them flat individually on a towel.
-Repeat process until all leafs are blanched.

Step 2.....Preparing the tofu

-In a medium bowl, add tofu, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Combine well. Set aside.

Step 3......Preparing the filling

-Take the reserved chard stems and dice them until you have 1 cup. See picture below.
-In a non-stick skillet, add a thin layer of water. Turn on the stove to medium heat and add the onions and carrots stirring for 5 minutes.
-Add the chard stems, bell pepper for another 5 minutes.
-Add the broccoli, basil, oregano and salt. Combine well. Turn off heat.

Now you can preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Put a 1/2 c. layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan.

Step 4......Assembly

-Lay the leafs with the rib side up, gently overlapping the 'V' shape.
-Evenly distribute and spread the tofu mixture on each leaf leaving the edges bare.
-Evenly distribute the veggie mixture on each leaf leaving the edges bare.
-At the end where you cut the stems off, gently roll to about 3/4 of the leaf then fold in the edges and finish rolling. Repeat process on each leaf.
-Place in prepared baking dish.
-Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
-Uncover and spread a layer of sauce across and bake for another 20 minutes uncovered.