Baked Eggplant with Cashews

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants
• 1-1/2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar or light brown sugar
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, very finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley, very finely chopped
• 1 Roma or plum tomato, seeded and very finely chopped
• 1/2 cup red Bell pepper very finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried ground oregano
• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron or paprika
• 5 Spanish pimento-stuffed olives, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Slice one of the eggplants and use it to cover completely the bottom of an oiled baking dish. Sprinkle it with salt.
2. Mix the bread crumbs with the sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle a little of the bread crumb mixture over the eggplant in the baking dish.
3. For the filling, put all the vegetables in a medium-sized bowl and mix with all the seasonings, plus the olives and some of the bread crumbs, reserving about 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs to use them later. Spread this mixture on top of the sliced eggplant.
4. Slice the other eggplant and use to cover the filling.
5. Blend the cashews and soy milk together in a blender. Add salt to taste. Pour over the top layer of eggplant then sprinkle remaining bread crumb mixture over top.