Stacked Eggplant & Tomato Bake

Ever since I started cooking vegetarian meals, eggplant dishes have been the hardest to prepare. Finding an easy and quick meal with eggplant proved to be very difficult for me until my friend sent me this recipe.

It’s a perfect eggplant recipe in my mind because you get all the nutrients and health benefits of the eggplant, without ingesting the many calories that come along with a dish such as Eggplant Parmigiano. Not to mention, it takes about half the time as it does making Eggplant Parmigiano.

Training for the half marathon and running long miles has forced me to look deeper into finding food that is rich in vitamins and minerals. As the Livestrong website states:

Eggplant is loaded with vitamins and minerals, but its health benefits extend beyond just adding vital nutrients to a meal. Eggplant contains other compounds that promote good health as well, even to the point of helping to prevent cancer and lowering cholesterol. Once you realize how beneficial eggplant is to your health, you may want to give more consideration to it becoming a regular part of your diet.

Feel free to try my vegan version below or the original recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup water, in shallow bowl
• 3/4 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs, in shallow bowl
• 1 eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds (keep the skins on for added nutrients)
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Italian spices, to taste (Dried Basil, Dried Oregano, Dried Parsley)
• Paprika and crushed red pepper, to taste
• 5 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cup grated soy Parmesan cheese
• 1 (7 oz.) bag shredded soy mozzarella cheese
• Cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Dip the eggplant slices in the water first, then coat well in the breadcrumbs.  Place eggplant slices on baking sheet and then drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil.  Bake in the oven for 7 to 10 minutes on each side, or until slightly tender.
3. Meanwhile sauté onions and garlic with spices in 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until tender. Set aside.
4. Spray a 9×13 baking dish (or you can keep the eggplant on the large baking sheet and just do one layer of everything). Layer and repeat until all ingredients have been used: breaded eggplant, cooked onions and garlic, tomato slices, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Top with mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake 15-20 minutes in the oven, until cheese is melted and bubbly.