Serves: 4

-1 large eggplant, sliced lengthwise

-2 cups tomato sauce

-8 oz. extra firm tofu (half of a typical 16 oz. package), drained

-1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

-3 cloves garlic, minced

-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

-5 tablespoons olive oil

-2 medium onions, sliced thinly

-2 tablespoons sugar

-2 tsps salt

-1 tsp dried oregano

-1 tsp dried rosemary

-1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. What I like to do is slice the top off of an eggplant so that you can have a flat base in order to slice the eggplant lengthwise. Slice the eggplant into about 1/2 inch slices. On a large, greased baking tray, lay out the eggplant slices and cover them with aluminum foil. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the eggplant is malleable and cooked, but not mushy. Let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, crumble the tofu. Mash with a fork so that it’s similar to the texture of scrambled eggs. Add the spinach, garlic, balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and the salt & herbs. Stir well and set aside.

In a large skillet, add about 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil. Break up the rings of your thinly sliced onions, and turn the skillet on medium-low heat. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar and stir well. For about 20-30 minutes, caramelize the onions until they are light brown, stirring every few minutes.

In a pie dish or other baking dish, ladle about 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the tofu filling in the middle of the eggplant slice, and roll it up. Reserve about 1/3 cup of tofu mixture for garnish on top of the rolls.

Once your dish is filled, dollop about 1 tablespoon of sauce on top of each roll, and add about 1 tablespoon of the tofu mixture. Spread the caramelized onions around the top of the rolls and between them.

Place into a 350 degree oven and bake for another 20 minutes until the tofu garnish is golden brown and crispy.