Eggless Eggplant Strata

[Guest guest]

I made this the other night in an attempt to use up both an

eggplant that had been bouncing around in the fridge for a week and

some really stale sourdough bread slices I had tossed in the the

freezer and forgotten about. It turned out really well so I figured

I'd post it. It has a texture that reminded me a lot of strata but

it is egg-free.

 

Eggless Eggplant " Strata "

 

1 medium purple eggplant, or equivilant in smaller fruits, cut into

1/2 " cubes with skin left on

2-3 tbsp olive oil

a sprinkling of salt

a dash of sage

3 cups cubed stale crusty bread- sourdough works well, as does

french, anything that will stay together

2 cups seasoned, reconstitued TVP (seasoned with soy sauce, a dash

of cinnamon, and sage) or veggie " crumbles "

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup of water or veggie stock

1/8 tsp cinnamon

a dash of dried sage

a dash of paprika

1/4 cup milk, cream or milk alternative

1/3 cup strong vegetable broth

salt and black pepper

1-1 1/2 cups shredded cheese or cheese alternative (I used a mix of

swiss and colby because thats what I had)

 

Spread the eggplant on a baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tbsp of the

olive oil on top and sprinkle salt and sage on top of that. Stir

gently to coat. Place under a broiler for 10 minutes or until it

begins to brown.

While eggplant is broiling, heat remaining olive oil in a large

skillet or pot. Add onions and garlic, reduce heat to medium, and

saute until translucent and beginning to brown. Remove onions and

garlic from pan and set aside.

Remove eggplant from the baking sheet and put into the same

skillet used to cook the onions/garlic. Add water or stock,

cinnamon, paprika and remaining sage. Cover and boil until eggplant

is soft.

In a medium casserole dish, add the eggplant, onions and garlic.

Mix in the TVP and the bread pieces, along with salt, if desired,

and pepper. Stir to thoroughly distribute ingrediants.

Top with cheese, spreading a thin layer over the entire top.

Pour the strong broth and the milk over top of the casserole.

Place casserole in a cold oven. Set temp. to 400 degrees and bake

for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is beginning to brown and

casserole is bubbling.

 

~Rachael