Eggplant & Tempeh White Bean Gratin

Another incredibly fragrant dish I couldn’t sample while vacationing on banana island!

My clients are crazy about eggplant. So I try to incorporate it into as many dishes as possible. This gratin is pretty easy, but looks a little fancy. Plus, gratin sounds fancy to me. I suppose I could have used “casserole” to describe it, but eggplants seem very regal to me, and thus, this hearty gratin emerged.

I think some spinach or even (gasp!) mushrooms would be a nice addition, too.

1 eggplant, cubed

1 cup dry navy beans (any white bean)

1 cup organic breadcrumbs

4 cups vegetable broth

2 onions, chopped

1 28 oz can organic plum tomatoes, chopped

1 8 oz package organic multi grain tempeh

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup red wine

1/2 cup basil, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp all purpose seasoning

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Crushed red pepper flakes

In a saucepan, bring vegetable broth, beans and bay leaves to a boil
Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1- 1 1/2 hours or until fully cooked
Meanwhile, cook crushed red pepper, onions and garlic in olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat
Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently
Add tempeh and cook for 5 more minutes
Add wine, thyme, oregano, all purpose seasoning, salt and black pepper and cook for 2 more minutes
Add eggplant and basil and cook for another 10 minutes
Stir in tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for another 5-8 minutes
Once beans are done, pour into a greased 9X13 baking dish
Cover with eggplant mixture, then top with breadcrumbs and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes