Italian Layered Vegetable Casserole

Recipe courtesy of:
Fatfree Vegan Kitchen
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Italian Layered Vegetable Casserole

2 medium eggplants
1 large or 2 medium zucchini, sliced thinly (Or 2-4 cups sliced vegetables of your choice, such as mushrooms)
chopped parsley, garnish

Sauce (or use 28 ounces of prepared pasta sauce):

1/2 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar or other sweetener (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Creamy Bean Filling (or use tofu filling from this recipe):

1 15-ounce can great northern beans
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 cup spinach, firmly packed

Peel the eggplants, if desired (this makes the casserole easier to cut). Cut into 1/4-inch slices. Pre-cook the slices until they are partially dehydrated:

• To microwave, cover the bottom of the microwave with two layers of paper towels. Place eggplant slices in a single layer and cook on high power for 8-10 minutes, until reduced in size and beginning to shrivel. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
• To pre-cook in the oven, place on a silicone baking mat or parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake at 450 F until slices are shriveled but not brown or crispy.

Remove immediately from paper towels or baking sheet and place on a plate.

While the eggplant is cooking, prepare the sauce, if you're making it from scratch. Sauté the onion in a non-stick skillet until softened; add the garlic and cook for another minute. Set aside.

Remove 1/2 cup of the diced tomatoes and set aside. Put remaining tomatoes and sauce ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. Add reserved tomatoes and onions to blender and stir to combine (do not blend).

Prepare the filling by placing all ingredients into a food processor and processing until smooth.

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a mid-sized rectangular casserole dish (I used 11x7-inch) with canola oil or non-stick spray. Put a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the dish--just barely enough to cover the bottom. Arrange 1/3 of the eggplant slices over the sauce. Spread 1/2 of the filling over the eggplant, and put half of the zucchini or other vegetables over the filling. Drizzle lightly with sauce. Repeat eggplant, filling, zucchini, and sauce. Place the final layer of eggplant over the top, and pour the remaining sauce evenly over it, spreading it to cover the eggplant completely.

Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes. Check to make sure that zucchini is cooked and sauce has thickened; if not, add more time. Remove when done and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped parsley as garnish.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 172 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (5% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 424mg Sodium; 10g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core/3 Points.

With tofu filling: 183 Calories (kcal); 5g Total Fat; (22% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 452mg Sodium; 10g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core/3 Points.

Nutritional information is approximate and is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate. "Gluten-free" label is strictly a cataloging tag meant to be helpful for recipe searches and does not ensure that
the recipe is completely free of gluten. Always read ingredient labels carefully and contact manufacturers to make sure that products actually are vegan and/or gluten-free.

Copyright 2009 Susan Voisin and Fatfree Vegan Kitchen
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