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This is a super simple and filling dinner we have often in my house. It is gluten free and vegan friendly (vegan cheese sauce recipe included).
Let me know what you think if you give it a try!
In the image below, they look a little different from each other- this is because the one of the left is with vegan cheese sauce, while the others have good ol' cheddar.
This recipe will make 4 eggplant halves and takes about an hour and 15 minutes- though much of this time can be spent out of the kitchen.
Ingredients
2 medium eggplants
150-200g TVP (depends on size of eggplants, I tend to add more when they’re a little larger). If you don't have TVP available, you can sub lentils.
~450g Marinara sauce of preference. I usually make my own, but in the image I used Latina Fresh Italian Tomato & Garlic to save time.
2 tsp NutraOrganics Vegetable Broth Mushroom Veggie flavor (optional- add heartiness to TVP)
Cheese of choice- to make a super quick vegan cheese sauce used you’ll need:
3/4C almond milk
2tbs tapioca flour
4 tbs savoury yeast flakes/nutritional yeast
½ tsp each onion and garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C
Slice eggplant in half length ways and cut deep crosses into the white part of the eggplant.
Place the eggplant onto a baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until soft (varies from oven to oven, check from about 45 minutes onwards). The eggplant should be tender and easy to scoop out flesh.
If using vegetable broth: Place TVP into a bowl, with 2 tsp veggie broth and enough boiling water to cover the TVP (~250-300mL). Leave until absorbed. If not using vegetable broth: Skip step, TVP will rehydrate in sauce later.
If you are making your own marinara sauce, make it during this time.
When eggplants are ready, remove from oven and scoop out the eggplant flesh into a saucepan.
Add the sauce and TVP to the saucepan and cook over a high-medium temperature for about 5 minutes, until warm and well mixed together.
Divide the mixture into the eggplants to fill them.
Place stuffed eggplants into a baking dish, top with cheese (if using dairy cheese) and bake for 10 minutes.
If making vegan cheese follow steps 10 to 12, if not, skip. While the eggplants are in the oven, combine all ingredients to make the vegan cheese sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil while whisking (or mixing with fork if you can’t find the whisk like me most of the time).
Once boiling, reduce to low-medium heat and simmer for a few minutes, stirring until thickened.
When eggplants are done, remove from oven and top with vegan cheese sauce.
Top with fresh basil and serve immediately with fresh salad and/or rice/cauliflower rice...or some garlic bread!
Tip: If you have another vegan cheese you use, or make the vegan cheese before the eggplants are initially finished roasting, you can layer the cheese when stuffing the eggplants.
Enjoy,
Hollie
Nutrition Breakdown
Per 1/2 Eggplant (without cheese due to variation):
230 cal/964kJ 28g protein 2g fat 0.2g sat fat 25g carbs 169mg sodium