Fresh Vegan Eggplant, Zucchini, and Tomato Gratin

Need to use up some of those summer zucchini and eggplants? Have a big batch of lovely huge tomatoes that need to be in your belly? This gratin recipe might just do the trick, and it’s lovely and filling, as well.IMG_1564

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2-3 large beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup faux parmesan cheese
1 box panko bread crumbs
1 T dried Italian seasoning or fresh chopped parsley, oregano, and thyme
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium vegetable broth
3 T olive oil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place panko, garlic, spices, faux parmesan, and salt in food processor or blender and pulse until combined and fairly fine.

Spray bottom of a 13×9 pan (unless nonstick) with cooking spray. Arrange one layer of eggplant on bottom of pan. Place one layer of zucchini on top of eggplant. Arrange 1 layer of tomato on top of zucchini. Spoon ½ of breadcrumb mixture over vegetables. Repeat layers.

Mix broth and olive oil and drizzle over top.

Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender and crumb topping is browned.

Serve with a protein of your choice or a big salad.

Baked Cheatken Rotini – Vegan Recipe

So, there I was, looking at a big container of TVP chunks that I had purchased at my local health food store.  Having never cooked with TVP, I wasn’t sure what to do with them, but I knew that I was in the mood for a comforting filling baked pasta dish.  So,  I started dragging ingredients out of the pantry, and this is what I came up with in the end.  I made a double batch, and we had leftovers for days (after feeding six people) so I’ve only given you a single batch recipe here.

Baked Cheatken Rotini

1 lb rotini
1 cup TVP chunks
1 ½ cups veg broth
1 large can tomato puree
1 ½ cups diced tomato
¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chopped mushrooms (optional)
1 T olive oil
1 T dried Italian seasoning (or use fresh basil, oregano, thyme)
¼ cup Daiya mozz (optional)

Place TVP in large bowl with onion, garlic, and mushroom.  Heat veg broth to a boil and pour over TVP mix.  Stir and allow to sit and absorb the liquid while cooking pasta.  Cook pasta in water with 1 T olive oil to al dente.  Drain and rinse.  Mix tomato puree, diced tomato, Italian seasoning, and nutritional yeast into TVP mixture and then fold into pasta.  Put parchment paper on the bottom of a baking pan and fill with mix.  Sprinkle Daiya over the top.  Tear off a sheet of foil large enough to cover pan and coat bottom of sheet with sprayed olive oil or nonstick spray.  Cover pan tightly.  Bake at 350* for 45 minutes (check to be sure it is warmed through) and serve.