Creamy Creole Eggplant Bake

Liberally modified from Diet Dessert & Dogs' recipe ~ Thanks!!

1 small eggplant, peeled and chopped

2 Tbsp Braggs soy sauce

2 Tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil

2 tsp 3 Onion Dip spice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and then cut into chunks

Several shakes each: (dried) parsley, thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, onion and garlic powder, basil, oregano (then added more to taste)

1 cup (120 ml) cooked chickpeas (about 1/2 cup dry)

300g soft tofu

1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened almond milk

2.5 cups uncooked basamati rice (works well with pasta, too!)

I prepared the rice in the rice cooker while I prepared the rest of the sauce.

In a large frying pan or wok, heat the oil over medium heat and add the eggplant, garlic and Braggs. Once the eggplant softens and absorbs the Braggs, add zucchini and continue to cook until the zucchini starts to soften. Add spices, mix well, then add the chickpeas.

In a high speed blender, combine the tofu and almond milk. Blend smooth then pour into the fry pan and stir to coat.

For a quick meal: Ladle warm sauce over the rice/pasta and serve, topping with fresh parsley if you want.

For a Casserole: Preheat oven to 35o F. Add rice/pasta to sauce and stir to coat everything. Pour into a casserole dish. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until the top begins to brown. Serve and enjoy!