Italian Veggie Cakes

Ingredients

Servings

4 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 12 14 16

US / METRIC

1

Eggplant , peeled, diced

1

Onion , peeled, diced

1 cup

Cremini Mushrooms , finely chopped

1 jar
(10 oz)

Sun-Dried Tomatoes , finely chopped

1 Tbsp

Garlic , minced

1/4 cup

Pine Nuts

1 dash

Balsamic Vinegar

1

Lemon , zested, juiced

1/2 cup

Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup

Breadcrumbs

plus additional as needed for coating

1

Egg

to taste

Ricotta Cheese

as needed for topping

to taste

Fresh Parsley

as needed for garnish

as needed

Olive Oil

to lightly coat the pan

Cooking Instructions

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Step 1

Coat a large pan in Olive Oil (as needed) and heat it up over medium-high heat. Add the Eggplant (1) , Onion (1) , and Cremini Mushrooms (1 cup) , letting them get soft but not too brown for about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Then add in the Sun-Dried Tomatoes (1 jar) and Garlic (1 Tbsp) , letting them get fragrant for a couple of minutes.

Step 3

Pour in the Pine Nuts (1/4 cup) and Balsamic Vinegar (1 dash) , then reduce the heat to medium low and let the mixture meld, cook until it becomes mushy for about 30 minutes, stirring often to keep it from burning. Mushy is good in this case! When it's done, take it off the heat and let it cool.

Step 4

While the veggie mixture cooks and cools, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with foil. Lightly spray it with cooking spray.

Step 5

In a large bowl combine the zest and juice of Lemon (1) , Parmesan Cheese (1/2 cup) , Breadcrumbs (1/2 cup) , and Egg (1) . Add the cooled veggie mixture to the bowl and mix it all together thoroughly.

Step 6

Divide the mixture into quarters, and then form each quarter into a ball. Coat the four Italian veggie cakes in breadcrumbs, place them on the prepared baking sheet and flatten them lightly into patties. Bake the Italian veggie cakes in the oven for about 15 minutes, until golden and completely cooked through.

Step 7

Take them out when they are done and let them cool for 5 minutes. Then top each cake with a dollop of Ricotta Cheese (to taste) . This is going to add such an amazing mouthfeel to the cakes. It gives them a needed hit of creaminess that sends them over the top. Add a little sprig of Fresh Parsley (to taste) on top to make them pretty and serve immediately! Enjoy!