Baked Eggplant With Onion, Tomato, and Bell Pepper

Eggplant has never been more popular at the dining table, enjoying a growing and loyal audience around the world. Eggplants come in many varieties, shapes, sizes, colors, textures and tastes. As supermarkets and farmers markets have expanded, new and different eggplant varieties have become readily available. Eggplant has a rich texture when baked, and absorbs the other flavors in the dish well.

Eggplant slices are layered with onion, tomato, bell pepper, celery, and green olives. Seasoned with dried oregano and saffron, and topped with a sauce featuring heavy cream, soy milk and cashews. The tasty eggplant casserole makes a nice side dish to fish or poultry. If serving sizes are doubled, the casserole makes a hearty vegetable entree that can be served with hot baked bread.

Baked Eggplant with Onion, Tomato, and Bell Pepper

Ingredients:

2 Large Purple Eggplants, sliced Coarse-Grained Salt, to taste 1 cup Dry Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs 1/2 teaspoon Light Brown Sugar 1 Yellow or White Onion, finely chopped 1 Roma (Plum) Tomato, seeded and chopped 1 Celery Stalk, diced 1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped 5 Pimento-Stuffed Green Olives, sliced 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano 1/2 teaspoon Powdered Saffron 1/2 cup Soy Milk 1/2 cup Heavy Cream 1/2 cup Cashews

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. 2. Grease a medium size casserole dish with butter. 3. Arrange 1/2 the slices of eggplant on the bottom of the casserole dish. 4. Season liberally with salt. 5. Add the breadcrumbs and brown sugar to a medium mixing bowl. Stir to combine. 6. Sprinkle 1/2-cup of the breadcrumb mixture over the layer of eggplant slices. 7. In large bowl, combine 1/2 cup breadcrumb mixture, onion, tomato, celery, red bell pepper, olives, and olive oil. 8. Season mixture with dried oregano and saffron. 9. Spoon mixture over layer of eggplant. 10. Top with remaining eggplant slices. 11. Top eggplant with remaining breadcrumb mixture. 12. Add the soy milk, heavy cream and cashews to blender. Blend until smooth. 13. Pour the milk mixture over eggplant. 14. Bake 30 minutes until crisp and golden brown.

Delicious eggplant recipes, like this eggplant casserole are a part of nearly every cuisine around the world. For delicious, taste-tested casserole recipes representing the best the culinary world has to offer, head to http://www.CasseroleRecipes.net.

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