Vegetarian or Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

I made this for the first time last night.  I absolutely loved it, and it was a hit with my husband too!   I have been craving Italian flavors since becoming pregnant a few months ago.  And, as a result, I've been on a mission to recreate Italian dishes, making them both lighter and vegetarian/vegan friendly.  Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorite things to order at an Italian restaurant.  HOWEVER, I do not enjoy the heavy feeling that the fried oil, heavy refined flour breading, and pasteurized cheeses leave in my system!  I believe that you will, as I did, find this version both delicious and nourishing in all ways...

Ingredients:

One Package of Organic Brown Rice Spaghetti, cooked
1 Jar of Mur Glen Organic Cabernet Marinara Sauce
1 Large or 2 Small Eggplants, sliced thinly
Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar mixed together and sprinkled with a small amount of sea salt
Breadcrumbs, either store bought gluten free or homemade by toasting a few slices of millet bread and placing it in a food processor until 'crumby'
(Excellent millet bread is available from Sami's Bakery.)
Basil for Garnish

Directions:

1.  Soak the sliced eggplants in salted water for about an hour.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.   Dip eggplant slices into the olive oil mixture 

3. Coat the eggplant with the breadcrumbs and place on an enamel or stainless steel cookie sheet.  (Aluminum and Teflon bake ware are harmful to your health, so best to avoid at all times.)

4. Bake until brown and crispy turning at least once (up to 10 minutes for each side, but this varies with each oven, so watch them carefully the first time you make this dish).

To serve:  Place the spaghetti on the plate.  Add the baked eggplant slices and coat with the Cabernet marinara sauce.

For a Vegetarian Dish:  Grate a healthy cheese on top, such as raw milk goat, sheep, or Jersey cow cheese.  Pasteurization damages the proteins and enzymes in cow's milk, making them difficult to digest and prone to clogging/depositing within the connective tissue and lymphatic system of the body.  (Goat milk proteins are not as affected.)  Probably for this reason, research has linked pasteurized cow dairy product consumption with osteoporosis, increased colds, asthma, and certain types of cancer.  The moral of the story:  Seek out raw dairy products for best results! 

For a Vegan Dish:  Use Rawmesan, a Vegan version of Parmesan cheese that is just as delish!  Available from the Raw Food World.

 

 And Finally... place a few basil leaves on top for some extra flavor and color.  You can also drizzle a little extra infused olive oil around the edge of the plate for olive oil lovers!