This week’s recipe highlights a delightful plant — the eggplant. It falls victim to the same fate as the tomato in the great fruit versus vegetable debate, but when it comes down to it, eggplant is actually a fruit.
I personally love eggplant for its meaty texture — when cooked, its tenderness is to die for. Eggplants that are smaller and less mature are best, as their seeds grow bitter with age.
From the ground up: Uncover your inner vegan chef with Southwest quinoa delight
Eggplant Caprese Bake
Enjoy this recipe packed with nutrition and flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant
- 1 large tomato
- 1/2 block of firm, pressed tofu (I like Wild Wood brand best)
- handful of mushrooms
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 2 cups spinach
- chopped fresh basil
- vegan shredded mozzarella (Kaas is a good brand)
- balsamic vinaigrette
- extra virgin olive oil
- nutritional yeast
- Himalayan salt
- pepper
- 1/2 can of tomato marinara sauce (optional)
- 1/2 box of Ancient Harvest Linguine (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Chop up all the vegetables, making sure the eggplant is about 1/2 inch thick.
2. Drizzle olive oil and Himalayan salt on the eggplant slices.
3. Combine some olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, Himalayan salt and a little pepper in a small bowl. Place the nutritional yeast in another bowl. Slice the firm tofu into about 1/2 inch slices, and then cut the slices horizontally so you have about 8-10 half slices. Dip both sides of the tofu in the balsamic mix, then in the nutritional yeast.
4. Layer the eggplant, tomato and tofu in a 13-by-9 inch pan. Layer the red onion and mushrooms and basil on top. Drizzle some more olive oil and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
5. Pull the dish out of the oven and sprinkle the mozzarella and spinach on top. Bake for about 10-15 more minutes.
Finishing Touches
I like to pair the eggplant bake with some linguine and marinara for extra flavor and texture. It makes the dish well-rounded, but could certainly be enjoyed without the additional touch.
