Yawn.

This should be a post with Easter pictures, but I'm too lazy to get up and get my camera. Maybe tomorrow?? Sydney is on spring break this week and we are having a lazy day to recover from our weekend of candy and craziness. Showers? Maybe. Pajamas all day? Definitely. Unless I find the energy to get up and go grocery shopping. I doubt it though. There's always tomorrow.

So here is a meal that I made on Thursday that turned out pretty good. Tim even gave it a thumbs up! I've never cooked with eggplant before, so this was a first. I thought it was a little tough, so I wish I would have sliced it thinner and broiled it a bit longer, but overall - the sauce was delicious. I was a little skeptical because usually vegan "cheese" sauces are a failure in this house, but this was GOOD. Although, I sprinkled real parmesan instead of vegan. Yummy. This is another recipe from fatfreevegan.com. She really needs to come out with a cookbook. My life would be easier.

Vegan Eggplant "Parmesan"

1 large eggplant, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 pieces of whole grain bread, toasted and made into breadcrumbs
2-3 tbsp. soy parmesan (or ground almonds)
fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn
olive oil spray

Tomato Sauce:
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tbsp. tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

"Cheese" Sauce:

1/2 cup extra-firm silken tofu
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tbsp. cashew butter or tahini
1 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1/8 tsp. white pepper
2 tsp. corn starch

Salt the eggplant slices and put them in a colander to drain.

Prepare the tomato sauce by sautéing the onion in a non-stick saucepan until it becomes translucent (you may use a little water if you like). Add the garlic and sauté for one more minute. Add the remaining tomato sauce ingredients, and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Prepare the cheese sauce: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth. Blend again right before using to make sure that the ingredients haven't separated.

Rinse the eggplant slices and pat them dry with paper towels. Spray a baking sheet lightly with olive oil and place the slices on it (you may have to do this in two batches). Spray the tops lightly and place under the broiler. Watch carefully, and remove when the slices start to brown, about 3 minutes.

Assemble the casserole: Preheat the oven to 350. Spray or wipe an 8x8-inch non-metal baking dish with a small bit of olive oil. Place half of the eggplant slices on the bottom of the dish, edges overlapping. Sprinkle with half the breadcrumbs. Spoon half the tomato sauce and pour half the cheese sauce over the breadcrumbs and sprinkle lightly with soy parmesan. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients (reserving some bread crumbs for on top, as mentioned above). Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, until slightly browned on top. Sprinkle with fresh basil just before serving. Serves 4.

Each serving provides approximately: 238 Calories (kcal); 9g Total Fat; (30% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 477mg Sodium; 8g Fiber. (These figures, especially fat and sodium, vary drastically depending on the exact ingredients you use.)