Vegan Eggplant "Parmesan"

Mealtimes in a mixed diet household sometimes means double the cooking to satisfy everyone's needs. While there are some vegan meals that my husband enjoys, there are somethings he just won't give up like spaghetti Bolognese. On spaghetti nights I make two pots of sauce, and while that may be a little bit more work, it usually means that we will have plenty of leftovers. I know, leftovers can be so boring, but I love them. In fact, I am always coming up with creative ways to use them, so everyone looks forward to leftover nights. One of our favorite ways to use up leftover spaghetti sauce is ontop of schnitzel.

I usually make a delicious cauliflower schnitzel and cover it with my vegan Bolognese sauce. But, for some reason, when I went to the store to buy cauliflower they were completely out. No problem, right? WRONG! Go to another grocery store, no cauliflower! As I paced the produce aisle I noticed some beautiful eggplants and a lightbulb went off; I'll make vegan eggplant parmesan.

The key to making the breading crispy with eggplant is to draw out some of the moisture beforehand by lightly seasoning it with salt and letting it sit. After about ten minutes or so, pat the moisture that the eggplant sweated out before breading it. I always do the standard flour, soy or almond milk, and breadcrumbs seasoned with salt and pepper. I added dried basil, oregano, and nutritional yeast to the breadcrumbs for some added flavor and baked it on my silpat baking mat. You can also pan fry it in some oil, but who needs all that extra fat? The silpat mat makes all the difference and really gets the breading crispy. I was surprised at how well the eggplant came out, it was definitely a winner in my house with not just me, but both my kids. As for my husband? He still prefers his parmesan schnitzel, but hey, two out of three ain't bad!

Recipe: Vegan Eggplant "Parmesan"

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

1 c flour

1 c breadcrumbs

1 c milk alternative

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp nutritional yeast

salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C

Slice eggplant into rounds and lightly salt on both sides, set aside for around 10 minutes. Meanwhile, set up you breading station and season each with salt and pepper. Add basil, oregano, and nutritional yeast to the bread crumbs. Dab off moisture from the eggplant using a clean dishtowel, or papertowel. Use standard breading method by covering it in flour, dipping it in the milk, and then covering it with breadcrumbs. Place on a silicone baking sheet, or a sheet pan, and bake for 30-35 minutes, until it begins to turn golden brown on the edges. Cover with your favorite sauce, and cheese substitute if desired.