Eggplant Rollatini

I looked up a bunch of recipes for stuffed and rolled eggplant.  Didn't really find any that flipped my lid, so I made up my own tonight.  Served up the rollatinis with garlic sourdough and fresh peaches and cherries.  My family ate a ton and asked me to add it to the good list.  I'll try to walk you through it step by step, but it's really not as difficult as it looks.

LAYER 1: EGGPLANT
(If you don't have vegan mayo, use regular mayo or even just a little milk so the breadcrumbs stick.  But the mayo kind of evens out any bitterness from the eggplant.)

Eggplant
4 T. Vegenaise (vegan mayo)
1 T. vegan milk
1 c. breadcrumbs seasoned with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning blend

Heat oven to 425 degrees and brush a cookie sheet with olive oil or vegetable oil. Peel a good size eggplant and cut it lengthwise into 1/4" thick slices.  Mix the mayo and milk together, dip the eggplant in the mayo mix and then coat with breadcrumbs. Lay out on the cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake about 12 minutes per side or until golden brown.

LAYER 2: VEGAN RICOTTA "CHEESE"
In a food processor, pulse together the following until the texture of ricotta cheese:

1 brick extra-firm tofu, drained
2 T. freshly minced basil
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper

LAYER 3: FRESH SPINACH
Just buy a bag of fresh spinach and wash it.  Place on paper towel to drain.

LAYER 4: SAUTEED MUSHROOMS
1 package baby portabellas or white mushrooms, sliced
3 T. olive oil
Season with salt and pepper

Season and saute mushrooms in small fry pan in oil until soft.




Roll it all up and serve warm.  The heat from the mushrooms and eggplant will soften the cheese and wilt the spinach a little, but you want it to be fresh.  Season with more salt, pepper and parsley if you want.  If making a lot, go ahead and put them back in the oven to keep them warm, but the texture may change if you leave them very long.