Do you ever look at an eggplant and wonder what else you can do with it outside of the familiar Eggplant Parmesan or my favorite {maybe because it is my recipe} Eggplant Lasagna?  The genius who came up with this idea is my hero!

My friend, who originally made these followed a recipe and altered it. Of course, I had to put my spin on it to pack it with more nutrition! I didn’t even need the eggs to bind them because I added chia & hemp seeds for extra protein and we decided they needed a little dipping sauce.

After I added fresh chopped basil and Italian spices, the marinara sauce made them perfect companions! They are super easy to make and a complete meal all in one!  Oh and in case your mind was thinking drug test and marijuana when I mentioned hemp seeds, no need to be alarmed, the hemp plant is actually a different species of cannabis!

You won’t be tripping on these seeds but actually you will have a bit of a skip in your walk because there are essential nutrients, healthy fats and a good amount of protein in them!  Only 3 tablespoons of these tiny seeds will give you 11 grams of protein! That is mind tripping, wouldn’t you agree?!

Leaving the skin on the eggplant gives us that extra fiber. In the picture to the right I used a dish underneath to catch the liquid as I form the cake in my palms. Pressing the extra liquid out will prevent a mess on the cookie sheets and help cakes to firmly stay together. You can also freeze these scrumptious bites and thaw them out as needed!

Italian Eggplant Cakes {paleo, egg & gluten free}

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: Dawn Rofrano

Serves: 15-18

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants
• 1 cup cheese like Asiago cheese
• ¼ tapioca flour
• ¼ cup hemp seeds
• 16 fresh basil leaves
• 3 tbsp. chia seeds
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp. Italian spices
• 1 tbsp. dried onion flakes
• ½ tsp pink Himalayan sea salt
• 2-4 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 jar of marinara sauce {I use Amy's}

Instructions

1. Wash and cut eggplants into chunks leaving the skin on.
2. Toss them in coconut oil. Bake them in a 350* oven for 15-20 min.
3. Let chunks cool for a few minutes before putting them in a food processor.
4. Add all the other ingredients into the food processor except the cheese.
5. Add half of the eggplant chunks and pulse; add the rest, pulse add cheese last.
6. In palm form cakes as you gently press extra liquid out into a bowl.
7. Place cakes on oiled sheet; bake for 20 min. or until the edges are slightly golden.
8. As eggplant cakes are baking, heat up the marinara sauce.
9. Cool cakes for a few minutes before serving with a tbsp. of red sauce per cake.

Notes

If you buy a jar of your favorite marinara sauce read the ingredients to make sure there is no hidden sugar. The only one I have found is Amy's. This recipe is packed with nutrition and are well balanced with protein and good fats. Please use organic when you can.

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