Cooking through my CSA: Eggplant (VeganMoFo)

 Eggplant Mushroom Wraps

Vegetables as a work of art?  I think so.

I was mesmerized by the bamboo-esque pattern of these Thai Eggplants.  Without a clear idea of how to use these beautiful eggplants, I used the fail safe method of marinating and roasting with the intention of putting them in a wrap.  I do this often with different combinations of ingredients for wraps and they make wonderful lunches.  It’s a great way to use up produce and protein you have left over from other cooking projects.  For this version I threw in some cremini mushrooms I’d been meaning to use, a half block of extra firm tofu I had leftover from another recipe and about a cup of chickpeas left over from my Big Salad earlier this week. 

I combined sliced eggplant and mushrooms with pressed, cubed tofu with one of my go-to marinades, let them hang for the 10-15 minutes it took for the oven to get up to 375 degrees and then roasted them on a foil lined baking sheet for about 20 minutes, flipping at the 10 minute mark. 

Before baking

This marinade consisted of soy sauce, liquid smoke, (vegan) Worcestershire, Asian chili paste and balsamic vinegar.  I failed to measure how much of each but I’d say I did about equal parts of everything except the soy sauce, which I used much more of.  At the halfway point of baking I took the tray out and flipped everything to make sure it all cooked evenly.  At this point I also added a healthy sprinkle of nutritional yeast.

After baking, sprinkled with nutritional yeast

Once the veg and tofu were roasted, I mixed in the cup of chickpeas I had.  A dose of the mixture went onto a wheat wrap with romaine lettuce (CSA), chopped tomato (CSA) and some lemon tahini dressing.  

My wrap, before wrapping

These made for a delectable and filling lunch

Wraps like this are great because they are so versatile.  You can do this with any combination of veggies, protein and dressing you have on hand.  I often do this with roasted peppers and onions, a schmear of hummus, spinach and chopped kalamata olives.  Roasted squash and onion could combine with seitan and a cheezy sauce in a wrap as well.  You’re only limited by your imagination!