Hey Everyone,
Here is a great vegan Italian dinner. It is a little time consuming but all of these components can be made ahead of time so you can throw it together quickly. The rice sauce brings the whole dish together, with the cashew cream stuffed inside the crispy eggplant it is truly a delight. Enjoy!
- EGGPLANT
- 2 large eggplants (or 3 medium), cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices
- 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
- PLUM TOMATO SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and Freshly ground pepper
- 15 organic plum tomatoes- cut in half
- 1 cup white organic wine
- 1- 32 oz Jar Organic Marinara Sauce
- 2 Tbs. chopped parsley
- PESTO CASHEW CREAM
- 3 cups cashews- soaked for 3 hours in water
- 2 cups water
- 1 t. sea salt
- 1 ½ cups Vegan Pesto
- TOPPING
- 1 package rice mozzarella
- Directions
- 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 sauté 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.
- Make the Cashew Pesto Cream;
- 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.
- 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.
- Assemble the Eggplant.
- Cover the bottom of a glass casserole pan with ½ 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 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 sauté 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.
Make the Cashew Pesto Cream;
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.
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.
Assemble the Eggplant.
Cover the bottom of a glass casserole pan with ½ 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.
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