Eggplant 'Parmesan' is #1

This vegan Eggplant "Parmesan" is at the top of my list of impressive vegan foods that everyone loves. It takes more effort than I typically like to put in to an average meal, but for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, or impressing carnivores, it really does the trick.

I first saw this recipe on Susan Voisin's blog, the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen (which I highly recommend, by the way). My version is slightly different from hers after a little adaptation. Also, if you don't want to spend your evening slicing eggplants, just use lasagna noodles and throw in some spinach, sauteed mushrooms and onions and you've got a delicious vegan lasagna. I love turning this recipe into a lasagna because it reduces the prep time a lot for me. And I happened to find that I have a deep hatred for slicing eggplants as I always seem to cut them weird so they're never quite straight. I resent eggplants for that. But I still keep making this dish eggplants and all because those weird purple plants add a little something that is just so dang delicious.
I often double or triple this recipe to make multiple pans.

Vegan Eggplant 'Parmesan'

Ingredients:
1-2 eggplants sliced 1/4 inch thick (too bad they don't come pre-sliced!)
2-3 pieces of whole-wheat bread crumbs (use a blender or food processor to make them)
Vegan Parmesan to taste
Cooking spray
Your favorite Italian tomato sauce (my favorite is Bertolli's Organic Olive Oil, Basil and Garlic Sauce)

Cheezy Sauce:
1/2 cup silken tofu
1/2 cup soy or almond milk
1/2 cup vegetable broth (my favorite is Imagine Foods' No-Chicken Broth)
1 1/2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt (or salt to taste)
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. onion powder (or 1/8 to 1/4 of a small onion)
1/2 tsp. mustard
1/8 tsp. chili powder

Blend together all of the ingredients for the cheezy sauce. Add more seasonings to taste, if desired. (Lately I've found myself just flinging random amounts of these spices into the blender or food processor, so know that this isn't an exact science. It's a process of getting it to taste delicious. And you are your own best judge of deliciousness.)

If you want to make sure your Eggplant "Parmesan" is impressive (i.e. cooked all the way), then be sure to place the eggplant slices on an oiled baking sheet and bake or broil them in the oven until they are light brown. If you aren't as concerned or don't mind eggplants that are slightly underdone, then simply begin the layering process.

Preheat the oven to 350°

The layering process is quite simple: put down a layer of eggplants in a 15x10 glass baking dish. Put a layer of sauce, followed by cheezy sauce, followed by breadcrumbs and vegan Parmesan, if desired. Repeat one or two more times and then pop the whole pan into the oven.

Bake it for 30-60 minutes and then allow it to cool for a little while before digging in (the wait is the hardest part for me!)

Enjoy!