Vegan Eggplant Stacks
INGREDIENTS
1 pound baby kale leaves
4 cups sliced sweet onion
4 cups cooked butter beans
24 pieces eggplant slices (1" thick)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
to taste SalterieOne Classic Sea Salt
to taste SalterieOne Summer Blend
optional noochit! cashew grated cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
To prepare the onions
1. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat, then add 4 cups of sliced onions and a pinch of SalterieOne Classic Sea Salt to the pan, let cook for 3-5 minutes then turn the onions in the pan using a pair of tongs.
2. Continuing turning the onions every few minutes until most of the liquid has released and they have begun to turn translucent. Then, stir in 1 tbsp olive oil, reduce the the heat to medium-low.
3. Cover the pan and continue cooking the onions until a rich golden color appears, turning the onions every 3-5 minutes to prevent burning. Once the onions have caramelized, season to taste with SalterieOne Classic Sea Salt, and set aside until needed. You should end up with approximately 1.5 cups of onions once they have finished cooking.
To prepare the baby kale
1. Heat the same skillet (or a second skillet if you want to work on both at the same time) over medium-high heat, add 1 pound (16oz) of baby kale, 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of SalterieOne Classic Sea Salt to the pan, cover and let cook for approximately 5 minutes before removing the lid.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking with the lid on while stirring occasionally until the kale is a completed wilted and has turned a deep green color. Season to taste with SalterieOne Classic Sea Salt, then set aside and let cool until needed. You should end up with about 1.5 cups of kale once it has finished cooking.
To prepare the butter bean cream
1. Combine 4 cups cooked butter beans, 2 tbsp water, 3 tsp SalterieOne Summer Blend and 1/4 cup olive oil in a blender, and blend until a smooth, even consistency is achieved. Season to taste with SalterieOne Summer Blend and set aside until needed.
To prepare the eggplant slices
1. Place the eggplant slices on a rippled baking sheet in a single layer about 1-2 inches apart from each other. (You will likely need to use more than one baking sheet.)
2. Then, drizzle with approximately 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 tsp SalterieOne Summer Blend, flip the the eggplant and slices and repeat on the other side with an additional 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 tsp SalterieOne Summer Blend. Place the baking sheets approximately 6" below the broiler and broil for approximately 8-10 minutes on each side. Season to taste with SalterieOne Summer Blend and let cool.
To prepare the creamed kale filling
Combine the butter bean cream, caramelized onion and wiled kale in a mixing bowl and season to taste with SalterieOne Summer Blend.
To create the eggplant stacks
Simply plate a single slice of broiled eggplant, top it with approximately 2-3 tbsp creamed kale filling, gently press a second slice of broiled eggplant over the creamed kale filling, add another dollop of creamed kale filling on top of the second eggplant slice, then finish with a pinch of SalterieOne Summer Blend (and dash of NoochIt! Cashew Grated Cheese by Uprise Foods if you aren't avoiding nuts at your table) and enjoy warm or at room temp!
Recipe courtesy of Mood Food Wellness Co.