BAM! It's Compassionate Cooking Sundays!
Credit: Grace Rosano/@graciemrosano
Ingredients
2 thin, medium-sized eggplants thinly sliced
3/4 cup of plain unsweetened almond milk
1 ½ teaspoon of cornstarch
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (We like Bob's Red Mill)
2 cups panko breadcrumbs (We like Edward & Sons)
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon of parsley
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
½ teaspoon of thyme
½ teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of vegan parmesan
1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast (We like Bragg)
4 cups of marinara or sauce
16 oz. of grated vegan mozzarella
Fresh basil and/or parsley for extra flavor and garnish
Instructions
Peel (or not) your eggplant and slice into ¼ to ½ inch thick rounds. Next, salt them on both sides and layer them in a colander (put in the sink) to draw out excess moisture and bitterness. Let stand for about 10-15 minutes.
Rinse the eggplant rounds. Place a clean dish towel on a baking sheet and arrange eggplant rounds in a single layer. Take another clean dish towel or two and place it over the eggplant, pressing down on the eggplant to release extra moisture. Do this for a few minutes to dry the eggplant completely.
Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit
Set up your dipping bowls: In the first bowl, whisk almond milk and cornstarch together. In the second bowl, put the flour. In the third bowl, add breadcrumbs, salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, parsley, thyme, vegan
parmesan and nutritional yeast, mixing well.
Dip eggplant slices, one at a time, into flour, then almond milk mixture, then breadcrumb mixture, and place each round onto a baking sheet until all are done. Place in oven and bake for about 20 minutes or so.
OPTION: If you want extra crispy eggplant, heat a large skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil and pull about 4 eggplant rounds at a time from the oven. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes and place back in the oven to continue baking.
Putting it all together: Spread a cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange eggplant in a single layer, topped with more marinara sauce, and sprinkle ½ the grated mozzarella on a layer of eggplant. Repeat this process again for 2nd layers and bake for 20 – 25
minutes.
Remove from oven and top with more vegan parmesan, fresh basil, and parsley.
Serve with bread or pasta and enjoy immediately.
Special Notes
This will not keep its crispiness as a leftover.
Grace likes Violife or Follow Your Heart Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese
Compassionate Fun Fact!
No one says cheese better than Sullivan, who has the whitest "teef" in all of Sullivan County, N.Y., where our sanctuary is located.
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