EGGPLANT PARMESAN – Vegan & GFree

I saw the most beautiful eggplants at the market a while back and they inspired me to create a vegan gluten-free Eggplant Parmesan.  When I was younger I was not a big fan of eggplant, but my love for them has developed full force.  I really like the substantial nature (dare I say “meatiness”) of eggplants and their chameleon ability to take on the flavor of whatever you cook them with.

Eggplants are also nutrition powerhouses.  Just one look at their deep purple color and you know that you are dealing with some major phytonutrients.   Eggplant is loaded with fiber and is a good source of Vitamin K, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium, and Manganese.  For more nutrition information about eggplants click here.

INGREDIENTS

½ recipe of gluten-free ITALIAN breadcrumbs

1 large eggplant

¼ cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour

½ cup So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk

olive oil

salt for sweating the eggplant

1 jar Gia Russa Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

¾ cup Daiya Mozzarella

1/3-1/2 cup So Delicious UNSWEETENED Coconut Milk

1 Tbs. nutritional yeast

 

Turn the oven on to 400°

Slice the eggplant into ½” slices.  Sweat the eggplant by salting them and placing them on a cooling rack (with a towel on the counter under the rack in order to soak-up liquid).  Allow the eggplant to sweat for 10-15 minutes.

Rinse the eggplant and pat off the excess water.  It is alright if the remain slightly damp.

Put the flour in a gallon bag.  Drop the slices of eggplant into the bag one at a time and coat them with the flour.

Pour the milk into a small shallow bowl.  Place another bowl next to the milk bowl and fill it with all but 1/3 cup of the breadcrumbs (which you will reserve to use as a topping).  Dip the floured eggplant into the milk one at a time and then cover the dipped eggplant in breadcrumbs.

Coat a pan in olive oil and bring the heat to medium / medium- high.  Gently place the prepared eggplant into the pan and cook 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through and browned.

While the eggplant is browning, place the Daiya, So Delicious UNSWEETENED Coconut Milk, and nutritional yeast into a small sauce pan and whisk over low heat.  The sauce should melt down and become spreadable.  Keep the sauce on warm until you are ready to use it, but stir it periodically to make sure it does not burn.

Pour 1/3 of the pasta sauce into a small casserole dish.  Place a layer of the eggplant on top of the sauce and cover it with half of the cheese sauce.  Pour another third of the pasta sauce on top and layer with the remaining eggplant.  Pour the remaining cheese sauce on top and cover with the reserved breadcrumbs.  The remaining pasta sauce will be used for serving.

Place the casserole into the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes covered.  Uncover the casserole and cook for another 15 minutes.

Warm the remaining pasta sauce and drizzle it over each individual serving.

I loved this so much that I ate it over raw zucchini noodles (click here to see how to make them) for lunch for the next three days!

For a printable version of this recipe click here.