Italian Summer Casserole

This is a delicious meal we enjoyed last night. We will be having this more often throughout the summer while our zucchini plants are producing full steam.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 medium eggplant
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 4 large cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon Italian herbs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 1/4 cup vegan Parmesan almond cheese

for 1 cup vegan Parmesan cheese:

• 1 cup almond meal
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/8 lemon grass powder (optional but nice)
• pinch cayenne (optional but give a bit of heat and bite)

Directions:

to make the vegan Parmesan cheese:

1. If almond meal is not available you can put 1 cup almonds in a food processor and process until the consistency of grainy flour.
2. Place the almond meal in a bowl.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients for the “cheese” and whisk well to mix.
4. This will make more than you need to the casserole, but the rest can be stored in an airtight jar and used later.

to make the casserole:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF / 177ºC.
2. Oil an oven-proof baking dish about 9X9.
3. Cut the zucchini in rounds about 1/2 inch thick, then quarter each round.
4. Place the zucchini pieces in a large bowl.
5. Slice the eggplant in 1/2 inch rounds and then cut into similar sized pieces as the zucchini.
6. Add the eggplant to the bowl with the zucchini pieces.
7. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add to the vegetables.
8. Chop the basil.
9. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables and mix well.
10. Sprinkle 1/2 of the vegan Parmesan cheese and Italian herbs over the vegetables and mix well.
11. Place the vegetables in the baking dish.
12. Cover with either baking parchment or aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
13. After 20 minutes, remove the baking parchment or aluminum foil.
14. When the vegetables are tender, the meal is ready to be enjoyed.
15. Sprinkle a bit more of the vegan cheese and herbs.
16. We enjoyed the meal with a wholegrain baguette and a mixed salad.

Recipe adapted from http://www.wellplated.com/tomato-egglant-zucchini-bake/