Baked Eggplant Parmesan Stacks
Fresh baked eggplant breaded in crusty panko with yeast flakes and herbs, then layered with vegan tofu ricotta and marinara sauce.
Servings: 4
Calories: 249kcal
Ingredients
- 1 medium-large eggplant sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
- Marinara sauce for serving
For the Mayo:
- 1/2 cup raw cashew pieces
- 1/2 brick extra firm tofu or about 7 ounces
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons water
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
For the Breading:
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs see note below
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste, depending on brand of panko used
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
For the filling:
- 1/2-3/4 cup remaining mayo from recipe above or whatever is left after painting/breading your eggplant rounds
- 1/2 brick extra firm tofu or 7 ounces
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Prepare eggplant by washing, peeling (optional), and slicing it into 1/4 inch thick rounds.
- Prepare mayo (or use your favorite vegan mayo--about 1/2 to 3/4 cup needed, depending on the size of your eggplant) by blending all mayo ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. If you don't have a high-speed blender, soak your cashews for a few hours before-hand, and use only 3-4 tablespoons of water.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix all breading ingredients together and set aside in a bowl.
- Paint each eggplant piece with generous amounts of mayo on both sides.
- Spoon the breading mixture over both sides of each eggplant round, tapping off the excess.
- Place eggplant rounds on 2 lined baking sheets.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for about 15 minutes, then flip each eggplant round over, and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes, or until eggplant is tender and crumbs are a light golden color.
- Serve eggplant alone, with pasta and marinara, or in stacks (as shown) with vegan ricotta made out of your leftover ingredients (remaining oil-free mayo and 1/2 brick tofu).
- To make the tofu ricotta, use a fork to mash together oil-free mayo, tofu, lemon juice, yeast flakes, basil, and salt in a bowl.
- Layer eggplant rounds with marinara and tofu ricotta to desired height. Top with fresh basil if desired.
Notes
1. Not all panko bread crumbs are created equal. Some have added oil; some have added salt. I found the Dynasty brand panko (found in the Asian section of most grocery stores) to TASTE the best with the oil-free mayo in this recipe, because Dynasty has a small amount of added oil that really brings out the flavor of the eggplant. However, if you're wanting to completely eliminate oil, make sure you use oil-free panko.
2. This recipe tastes best when it is fresh out of the oven. In my opinion, this is not a recipe that you'll want to make in advance.
2. This recipe tastes best when it is fresh out of the oven. In my opinion, this is not a recipe that you'll want to make in advance.
Nutrition
Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 905mg | Potassium: 613mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 5.2mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 4mg