This is part lasagna, part eggplant “Parmesan.” I originally set out to make the latter, but I didn’t want to use packaged vegan cheese. Homemade cashew cheese has become a favorite around here, especially with Italian food, so I decided to give it a try with this. The recipe for the cheese is the same from the Butternut Stuffed Shells and I think it turned out delicious! I didn’t soak the cashews very long—maybe just an hour—and it still turned out creamy and smooth. This makes about 6 good-sized portions; great for a larger group, or for having leftovers.
INGREDIENTS:
2 medium eggplant, peeled (a carrot peeler works great) and sliced into 9 thin slices
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs olive oil
2 14-oz can diced tomatoes (I used the Italian variety), undrained
1/2 C white wine
1 Tbs dried basil
1 tsp oregano
1/4 C flour
2 C panko or breadcrumbs
2 Tbs Italian dried seasoning
1/2 C Ener-G Egg replacer powder
3/4 C almond milk
1/8 C water
Olive oil for frying
Cashew Cheese
2 C raw cashews, soaked in water for up to 2 hours, then drained
2 Tbs nutritional yeast
2 Tbs lemon juice
2-3 Tbs almond milk
1 tsp tahini
1/2 Tbs onion powder
1 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS:
To make the cashew cheese, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. If you want it thinner, feel free to add more almond milk and/or lemon juice. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic over medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the onion and saute for 7-8 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften and brown. Add the tomatoes, wine, basil, and oregano, stir to combine, and lower heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
While the sauce is cooking, combine the egg-replacer powder with the almond milk and water in a shallow bowl. Do the same with the Italian seasoning and panko, and add the flour to a small bowl.
Dust the entire eggplant slice with flour, cover with a thin layer of egg-replacer, then coat with the panko. Eventually, you might have to add a little more water to the egg-replacer dish in order to cover all 9 slices. In batches, place the eggplant slices in a skillet with enough oil to fry—about 2 minutes each side. Try to avoid flipping the pieces more than once, otherwise, you’ll end up with lots of fried chunks of breading in the skillet.
Place finished slices on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat process until all 9 slices are done. Next, coat the bottom of an 8×8″ baking dish with a ladle of the tomato sauce. Place 3 slices of the eggplant on the bottom and spread each slice with cashew cheese. Top with sauce, then repeat process.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces and enjoy!
- 2 medium eggplant, peeled (a carrot peeler works great) and sliced into 9 thin slices
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 2 14-oz can diced tomatoes (I used the Italian variety), undrained
- ½ C white wine
- 1 Tbs dried basil
- 1 tsp oregano
- ¼ C flour
- 2 C panko or breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbs Italian dried seasoning
- ½ C Ener-G Egg replacer powder
- ¾ C almond milk
- ⅛ C water
- Olive oil for frying
- Cashew Cheese
- 2 C raw cashews, soaked in water for up to 2 hours, then drained
- 2 Tbs nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbs lemon juice
- 2-3 Tbs almond milk
- 1 tsp tahini
- ½ Tbs onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- To make the cashew cheese, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. If you want it thinner, feel free to add more almond milk and/or lemon juice. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic over medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the onion and saute for 7-8 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften and brown. Add the tomatoes, wine, basil, and oregano, stir to combine, and lower heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- While the sauce is cooking, combine the egg-replacer powder with the almond milk and water in a shallow bowl. Do the same with the Italian seasoning and panko, and add the flour to a small bowl.
- Dust the entire eggplant slice with flour, cover with a thin layer of egg-replacer, then coat with the panko. Eventually, you might have to add a little more water to the egg-replacer dish in order to cover all 9 slices.
- In batches, place the eggplant slices in a skillet with enough oil to fry---about 2 minutes each side. Try to avoid flipping the pieces more than once, otherwise, you'll end up with lots of fried chunks of breading in the skillet.
- Place finished slices on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat process until all 9 slices are done.
- Next, coat the bottom of an 8x8" baking dish with a ladle of the tomato sauce.
- Place 3 slices of the eggplant on the bottom and spread each slice with cashew cheese.
- Top with sauce, then repeat process.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Cut into 6 pieces and enjoy
