Light Eggplant And Zucchini Summer Casserole

Hi guys!  My grandfather has started a garden, so now we have tons of squash, zucchini, and eggplant coming in! 

So I decided to make a layered casserole using our two eggplants and some of our GIANT zucchini.  

Light Eggplant And Zucchini Summer Casserole:

Adapted from:  ohsheglows.com (where she adaptedit from somewhere else)

Vegan/ Gluten Free

• 2 Dwarf Eggplants or 1 Medium Eggplant
• 1 Medium Zucchini
• 1-2 cups pasta sauce or chili (make sure it's vegan and gluten free)
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 basil leaf, finely chopped
• 1 handful of spinach
• 2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2-4 Tbsp water (to help it along)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Garnish with:  nutritional yeast, toast points, balsamic vinaigrette, paprika, sesame seeds, cheese/ vegan cheese, etc.

Directions:  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Peel and slice your eggplant into 1/4 inch slices.  Add to a lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 450, or until shriveled and delicious tasting.  Allow that to cool.  Slice your zucchini to about the same thickness and set aside.  Prepare your creamy filing (one of the layers of this casserole) by adding your chickpeas, minced garlic cloves (make sure you did that cool thing where you smashed them with your knife before you peel them!), basil, oregano, spinach, and olive oil to a food processor.  If it doesn't become creamy enough, add water one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.  Add salt to taste.  Start layering you casserole by spreading a thin layer of pasta sauce or chili, topping it with eggplant, spreading that with your chickpea spread, and then adding sliced zucchini.  Continue until you run out of eggplant (or zucchini, or pasta sauce/chili, or creamy goodness- I ran out of eggplant first).  Lower the oven to 425 degrees and pop your casserole in there.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes be serving.  Serves:  4-6

Step By Step:

1. Grab your eggplant and slice it:

2. Slice you eggplant into 1/4 of an inch slices:

3.  Add the eggplant to a lined baking sheet:

4.  Bake for 15 minutes at 450 and allow to cool:  



Yum!

4.  Prepare yourself mentally to slice a giant zucchini:

You can do this!

5.  Slice slice baby:

Mission accomplished!

6.  Gather your chickpea puree ingredients:

7.  Add them to a food processor:



8.  Process: 

Now you can start layering.

Bake!

More importantly, serve:



Yay!



In total, it took me 2 hours and 40 minutes to make this simple recipe.  Darn my need to make step by step directions!  I also had to defrost some chili I made a couple of months ago on the stove top (the heat from the oven comes through that eye, so while I was baking the eggplant I was also thawing some chili!  Our microwave broke).



Since that's not enough pictures, don't forget to check out my Oatmeal Page!  It's a page that I created just for all of the different oatmeal combinations I eat because I eat oatmeal so much (less since our microwave caught on fire).  Here I ate it at my Grandparent's, and check out what's in it on my oatmeal page ^

Do you guys like oatmeal?  Have you tried any of my oatmeal combinations?

Have a good day!