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Eggplant Parm Medallions

This is special enough for a romantic dinner!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Cure time2 hours
Servings: 2
Author: Snap Pea Sheep
Cost: 8

Equipment

  • Smoking Gun
  • Hickory and Cherry wood chips
  • Skillet with a lid that can be used on the stove top or oven.

Ingredients

  • 2 Japanese Eggplants
  • 3 Tbsp Hickory smoked sea salt I purchase mine from the San Francisco Salt Company. No artificial flavors.
  • 1/4 Tsp Himalayan Salt Salt to taste
  • 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/2 Cup Vegan Parmigiano I use Follow Your Heart brand
  • 1/4 Cup Vegan Panko Bread Crumbs I use Ian's Gluten and Egg free Panko.

Spicy Marinara Sauce

  • 1 18.3 Jar whole tomatoes (Plus the liquid) I use Jovial tomatoes from a glass jar
  • 1 Tbsp Calabrian Chili paste I use Trader Joes's
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic Puree
  • 1/2 Large sweet onion Diced fine
  • 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1/4 Tsp Dried Oregano or 1 Tbsp fresh
  • 1/2 Tsp Himalayan Salt
  • 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/4 Tsp Nutmeg May sub Coriander
  • 1 Tbsp Finely crushed almonds
  • 1 Roasted Red Bell pepper Optional. I use Divina peppers from a jar.
  • 1 Cup Water

Instructions

  • Peel Japanese eggplants with a peeler to remove as little of the flesh as possible. You may skip this step if the eggplants are organic.
  • Slice off the hard ends of the eggplants. Slice the eggplants into 1" slices.
  • Soak the eggplants in water for 5 minutes while you gather the ingredients for the sauce.
  • Drain the eggplants. Salt them liberally with hickory salt.
  • Place the eggplant slices in a zip lock bag and load your smoker with 50-50 hickory and cherry wood chips. Fill the bag with smoke and zip the bag closed. Allow to sit aside for at least an hour. Repeat if necessary. (See recipe notes).
  • Make the marinara sauce and set aside.
  • Remove the eggplants from the bag and rinse them slightly to get rid of excess salt.
  • Place eggplants in a skillet and lightly brown the eggplant medallions on both sides. About 4 minutes per side. Use a little broth or water if necessary to avoid sticking.
  • Pour sauce over the eggplant making sure to cover the eggplant well. Cover with the lid and place in the oven at 375 ° F for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the lid and top with the cheese. Return to the oven without the lid for 10 more minutes at 350 ° F.
  • Arrange eggplant on a serving dish.
  • Side suggestions include polenta with sautéed peppers and onions, plus lemony green beans with almonds.

Make the marinara sauce

  • Peel the onion and dice half into a 1/2" dice.
  • Dice the red pepper into a 1/2" dice.
  • Place all sauce ingredients into a large sauce pan. Use a double boiler if you have one.
  • Bring the sauce to a slight boil then turn down to a simmer. Stir to avoid sticking.
  • Simmer the sauce until the onions are soft and translucent.
  • An optional step is to blend the sauce for 4 minutes on low if you want a smooth sauce.

Notes

Used logo
This is a Snap Pea Sheep Recipe
 
I think this is an especially nice and romantic dinner. Perfect for Valentine's Day!
I accompany it with creamy polenta, sauteed peppers and onions and some lemony green beans with slivered almonds. 
If you do not have a smoking gun, just use the hickory salt to cure the eggplant. Rinse off the salt then use hickory salt instead of Himalaya salt when seasoning the eggplant.  Do not put the hickory salt in the sauce!
If you like the crunch topping, brown some vegan panko bread crumbs and sprinkle of top right before serving. 
Like most vegan cheeses, Follow Your Heart has added oil. If you are 100% no oil, use  crushed almonds in place of the cheese.