Recipe: Vegan, Gluten-Free Eggplant Rollatini with Cashew Pesto Cream and Plum Tomatoes in White Wine

Posted on October 1, 2013

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Vegan,GF, Eggplant Rollatini with Cashew Pesto Cream and Plum Tomatoes in White Wine

Author: Bhavani Jaroff, iEat Green

Recipe type: Entree

Ingredients

EGGPLANT
2 large eggplants (or 3 medium), cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup almond milk
extra-virgin olive oil
salt for eggplant
3 cups GF Bread crumbs
1 t. oregano. 3 t. Basil, 2 t. garlic powder, S & P
FOR THE SAUCE:
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
15 organic plum tomatoes, halved
1- 32 oz jar organic marinara sauce
1 cup organic white wine
2 Tbs. chopped parsley
PESTO CASHEW CREAM
3 cups raw cashews - soaked for 3 hours in water
2 cups water
1 t. sea salt
1½ cups vegan pesto
TOPPING
1 package rice 'mozzarella'

Instructions

Lay the eggplant slices out on a large cookie sheet, and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 20 minutes, then, with paper towel, wipe off salt and extracted water from eggplant.
Using 2 glass pie pans, make a mixture with the GF bread crumbs and the spices in one, and the almond milk in the other. Dip the eggplant slices into the almond milk, and then into the bread crumbs.
Cover the bottom of a large saut? pan with olive oil. Bring to medium high heat, and then add the slices of eggplant. Cook until golden brown, then turn over and repeat on the other side. You will need to work in batches, wiping out the pan in between each round, and adding more olive oil, until all of the eggplant is cooked. Remove the finished pieces of eggplant onto a cookie sheet, lined with paper towel, to absorb any extra oil.
While the eggplant is cooking, make the cashew pesto cream. Drain the cashews and put into a food processor. Pulse the cashews until chopped. Add the water and continue pulsating until smooth. Scrape down the edges, and turn the processor on, and puree until very smooth.
Add the pesto and salt, and puree again. Taste the mixture, and add more salt, if desired.
For plum tomato sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until lightly translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and tomatoes and continue cooking for another few minutes. Add the white wine and cook it down for 5 minutes. Add the remaining half of the marinara sauce, and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley.
Cover the bottom of a glass casserole pan with ? of the marinara sauce. Holding one piece of eggplant in your hand at a time, add 2 Tbs. of the cashew mixture onto the bottom third of the eggplant slice.
Then roll it up and place it, seam down, into the casserole pan. Continue in this manner, until all of the eggplant is rolled up, lining each piece next to the other. Top eggplant with tomato sauce and rice mozzarella. Bake for 30 minutes.

?Step-By-Step Photo Instructions

Lay the eggplant slices out on a large cookie sheet, and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 20 minutes, then, with paper towel, wipe off salt and extracted water from eggplant.

Using 2 glass pie pans, make a mixture with the GF bread crumbs and the spices in one, and the almond milk in the other. Dip the eggplant slices into the almond milk, and then into the bread crumbs.?Cover the bottom of a large saut? pan with olive oil. Bring to medium high heat, and then add the slices of eggplant. Cook until golden brown, then turn over and repeat on the other side. You will need to work in batches, wiping out the pan in between each round, and adding more olive oil, until all of the eggplant is cooked. Remove the finished pieces of eggplant onto a cookie sheet, lined with paper towel, to absorb any extra oil.

While the eggplant is cooking, make the cashew pesto cream. Drain the cashews and put into a food processor. Pulse the cashews until chopped. Add the water and continue pulsating until smooth. Scrape down the edges, and turn the processor on, and puree until very smooth.

Add the pesto and salt, and puree again. Taste the mixture, and add more salt, if desired.

For plum tomato sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until lightly translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add the garlic and tomatoes and continue cooking for another few minutes. Add the white wine and cook it down for 5 minutes. Add the remaining half of the marinara sauce, and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley.

Cover the bottom of a glass casserole pan with ? of the marinara sauce. Holding one piece of eggplant in your hand at a time, add 2 Tbs. of the cashew mixture onto the bottom third of the eggplant slice.

Then roll it up and place it, seam down, into the casserole pan. Continue in this manner, until all of the eggplant is rolled up, lining each piece next to the other.