Baked Vegan Eggplant Parmesean
We love how easy this is and baking it saves so much mess with splattered oil. We used Go Veggie cheese, our new passion!
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE EGGPLANT:
- 2 Medium Eggplants. cut into 1/2" rounds
- 1 Tbl Salt used to extract excess moisture from the eggplant prior to cooking- you can skip this step if you are in a time crunch
- 2 C Panko Bread Crumbs- I used gluten free
- 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning to taste
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 C Vegan Parmesan Topping- the Go Veggie brand is so amazing!
- 1 C All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 2 Tbl Ground Flax mixed with 6 Tbl Water allow to sit (preferably refrigerated) for about 10 minutes or so
- Olive oil- for sheet pan
- 1 C Vegan Shredded Mozzarella I use GO Veggie- the best!
FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:
- 1 Jar of Marinara Sauce- pick your favorite
- 1 tsp Olive oil
- 3 tbsp Minced Onion- to jazz up the sauce
- 2 clove Minced Garlic- to jass up the sauce
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- Fresh Basil and/or parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large colander, add the sliced eggplant and the salt. Place the collander in the sink or over a bowl to collect any of the extracted moisture. You may get anywhere from 1-3 Tbl of water depending on the eggplant. This takes about 35-40 minutes. You can wipe away any excess salt before proceeding as you press them to remove any remaining moisture. You want to remove as mush liquid as possible. ****You can totally skip this step if you are time crunched, to be honest we have made it both ways and it really doesn't make a huge difference.
In a bowl, add the ground flax and water. Allow to sit and thicken (preferably in the refrigerator) for about 10-15 minutes. You want it gelatinous, but if it gets too thick, you can always thin with a bit more water. This will be our "egg" wash mixture.- we did need to water it down just a bit more.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place your baking sheets in NOW to preheat.
Combine the bread crumbs with the parmesan and seasonings in a large dish or pie plate.
In another bowl, or zip-top bag, add the flour and toss the eggplant, shaking to remove any excess.
Take the flour-coated eggplant and dip in the wash mixture until completely coated. Follow with the breadcrumb mixture.
Remove the preheated baking sheets and before placing the eggplant, brush with oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes and then flip until both sides are crispy and golden brown.
In a saute pan, add the oil and onions. As they begin to soften, add the garlic.
Add the onion mixture and spices to the sauce. I like to heat mine so that it's already hot before going into the oven.
Add some sauce to the bottom of an 8"x8" baking pan, and place four of the baked eggplant slices.
Top with a bit of sauce, followed by parmesan and mozzarella. Add to that, another slice of the eggplant on top of each. Repeat with sauce, parmesan and mozzarella.
Bake at 400 degrees until hot and bubbly and the cheese starts to melt.
Garnish with fresh parsley or basil.
We adapted this recipe from The Veg Life- they have great recipes- check it out!