Creamy Creole Eggplant Casserole

Ingredients

• Eggplant

  Raw

  2 eggplant, peeled (yield from 1-1/4 lb) or 916g

• Vegetable oil

  Natreon canola, high stability, non trans, high oleic (70%)

  1 tbsp or 14g

• Onions

  Raw

  1 medium or 110g

• Green bell pepper

  Sweet, green, raw

  1 large (2-1/4 per lb, approx 3-3/4" long, or 164g

• Celery

  Raw

  2 stalk, medium or 80g

• Garlic

  Raw

  2 cloves, minced or 6g

• Mushrooms

  White, raw

  2 cup, pieces or slices or 140g

• Chickpeas

  (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, canned

  1 ½ cup or 360g

• Parsley

  Raw

  2 tbsp or 8g

• Thyme

  Spices, dried

  ½ tsp, ground or 0.7g

• Cayenne pepper

  Spices, red or cayenne

  ¼ tsp or 0.5g

• Paprika

  Spices

  1 tsp or 2g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  ¼ tsp or 0.5g

• Tofu

  Silken, firm, Mori-nu, soy

  6 oz or 170g

• Cashew nuts

  Nuts, raw

  1 oz or 28g

• Onion powder

  Spices

  ½ tsp or 1g

• Water

  Plain, clean water

  2 tbsp or 30g

• Salt

  Table

  2 tsp or 12g

• Nutritional Yeast

  Vegan - Whole Foods Market

  1 tbsp or 8g

• Bread crumbs

  Dry, grated, plain

  1 cup or 108g

• Basil

  Spices, dried

  ⅛ tsp, ground or 0.2g

• Oregano

  Spices, dried

  ⅛ tsp, ground or 0.2g

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Prick the eggplants all over with a fork, set on a baking sheet, and roast until very soft with some blackened spots, 30–40 minutes. Cool, then scoop the flesh into a bowl and discard any watery liquid.
2. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
3. Warm the canola oil in a large nonstick pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, green bell pepper, and celery; cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic and sliced mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms soften and release some juices, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the roasted eggplant, chickpeas, parsley, thyme, cayenne, paprika, and black pepper. Cook 2–3 minutes, breaking up the eggplant and mixing well.
6. Blend the silken tofu, cashews, onion powder, and water until completely smooth. Scrape into the pot, then stir in the nutritional yeast and salt to taste.
7. Lightly grease a shallow baking dish. Spread the eggplant mixture evenly in the dish. Toss the breadcrumbs with the basil and oregano and sprinkle over the top.
8. Bake at 375°F until hot and the topping is browned, 25–30 minutes. Let cool briefly before serving.