These vegan eggplant pockets could not be more simple to make and will surely have you doubling the recipe because they are devoured ever so quickly. They can be served elegantly as a side dish on a bed of arugula or baby romaine leaves and they make a delicious addition to any antipasto platter. A wonderful twist on a reverse sandwich with the bread tucked in between the eggplant slices.
I am by no means an expert on vegan meals as I very much enjoy poultry, fish and occasionally beef dishes. Nor would I ever be able to give it up entirely. My daughter however, has been doing a 30 day vegan challenge and so far she is enjoying it.
My challenge was in finding a vegan cheese which would greatly resemble or mimic the sharpness of a good quality Parmesan cheese, which I have always used in this recipe. I believe, I may have burnt a hole in the floor of the organic and vegan dairy section of my favorite grocery store. That is how long I stayed rooted in the same spot, reading and rechecking the list of ingredients on the various vegan cheeses. In conclusion, there is no vegan replacement for Parmesan cheese, the king of all cheeses!
I did however come across an organic, vegan mozzarella flavored cheese, which worked beautifully in this recipe and imparted a creamy taste and texture that was simply irresistible.
A little note to help along the way…have the stuffing ready before cutting the eggplant since the flesh quickly discolors.
A little fun fact…bigger is not always better! Smaller eggplants are best. The full sized eggplants tend to have hard seeds and can be bitter, so do look for smooth-skinned ones and avoid any that have soft brown spots.
These little vegan pockets also make a healthy and fun afternoon snack for all kids who come barging in with a rumbling tummy after school!
If anyone knows of a good vegan substitution for Parmesan cheese, I would love to hear from you…simply leave me a comment!
Ciao for now!
Vegan Eggplant Pockets
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs made without eggs
- 1/2 cup vegan mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 heaping tablespoon golden raisins
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts lightly toasted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt I used fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 16 eggplant slices cut 1/4 inch thick
Instructions
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a medium size bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, tomato, 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, parsley, garlic, raisins, pine nuts and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Set aside.
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Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with the remaining extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle both sides with the remaining salt.
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Place half of the eggplant slices on the prepared baking sheet.
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Spoon the bread mixture evenly over the slices and top with the remaining eggplant slices.
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Bake in 450*F degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes, turning once or until the slices are a light golden brown on each side.
pblevitt
April 29, 2016 at 4:15 pmThese look amazing and I imagine you can substitute parmigiano!
Marisa
April 29, 2016 at 6:46 pmI have always used Parmigiano Reggiano with excellent results 🙂
anotherfoodieblogger
April 29, 2016 at 6:42 pmAren’t those yummy looking vegan pockets! Great job on the vegan. 🙂
Marisa
April 29, 2016 at 6:47 pmThank-you 🙂
apuginthekitchen
April 29, 2016 at 8:17 pmThey look fantastic Marisa, LOVE eggplant.
Marisa
April 30, 2016 at 9:05 amThank-you so much 🙂
lapetitepaniere
April 30, 2016 at 2:41 amThese look mouth watering, Marisa. Love it! 🙂
Marisa
April 30, 2016 at 9:04 amThank-you so much Linda 🙂
Sandhya
April 30, 2016 at 6:05 pmMarisa, I am drooling looking at these. My husband and I love eggplant .I am definitely making these yummy pockets!
Marisa
April 30, 2016 at 7:35 pmThank-you Sandhya, enjoy and have a nice weekend?
Min yang
May 2, 2016 at 11:55 amMarisa , I believe that you can have an amazing cooking show with your talent . I pray the “great day” will come soon!
Marisa
May 4, 2016 at 10:35 pmlol….thanks Min, very kind of you!!!
Julie is Hostess At Heart
May 3, 2016 at 10:43 pmMarisa this recipe sounds amazing! I just admire what goes into researching and making a recipe vegan when trying to mimic non-vegan dishes. Bravo!
Marisa
May 4, 2016 at 10:41 pmWith this recipe it was not all that difficult! My daughter now requests a vegan dessert..that is a whole other challenge! Thanks Julie 🙂
Lynz Real Cooking
May 4, 2016 at 6:42 pmThese look so good and beautiful as well Marisa! Lovely
Marisa
May 4, 2016 at 8:18 pmThanks dear Lynn…have a great evening ?
Lynz Real Cooking
May 4, 2016 at 8:59 pmyou too dear xo
Karen
May 5, 2016 at 3:51 pmYour daughter had to love these…especially since you went to so much effort where the cheese was concerned.
Marisa
May 8, 2016 at 8:15 amHi Karen, they are definitely one of her favorites!!
Sandra Shields, Health Coach
May 7, 2016 at 8:23 amThese look scrumptious! I really like the meaty texture of eggplant and how they are a sponge for flavor! Beautiful!
Marisa
May 7, 2016 at 11:28 pmThanks Sandra! They make a satisfying meal and one will hardly miss the meat!
Nancy
May 25, 2016 at 9:11 pmThese look delightful…the filling sounds wonderful!
Marisa
May 25, 2016 at 11:06 pmThanks Nancy! They are quite tasty and thanks for dropping by!!
stellalucentellc
May 27, 2016 at 5:41 amGreat recipe! As an Italian-American I grew up eating eggplant in traditional ways and love it and am always looking for new recipes! If you are interested in Italian food, you may want to visit my blog http://blog.learntravelitalian.com/ where I post a special recipe every month.
Marisa
May 27, 2016 at 7:00 pmThank-you! I will be by to check your blog !!
Anna
May 30, 2016 at 4:08 pmEggplant dishes are one of my very favorites, and this one looks amazing!
Marisa
May 30, 2016 at 6:17 pmThanks Anna, am glad you like it:)
Sadie's Nest
June 3, 2016 at 1:33 pmI just completed a similar challenge. This would have been nice to have! Of course, now I can just have the Parmesan… 🙂
Marisa
June 3, 2016 at 6:18 pmlol…or repeat the challenge as my daughter did! Thankfully she is back to eating the occasional meat…nice to hear from you Sadie 🙂