Eggplant Rollatini over Chard

Too often, people write off Italian food as too heavy or having too many "carbs."

For the Filling
 1 ½ cups raw cashews (soaked in water for a minimum of 30 minutes)
 3 large cloves garlic, peeled
 Small handful of fresh parsley and/or basil
 ¼ cup nutritional yeast
 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
 ½ teaspoon sea salt
  cup water
 1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pound), peeled and sliced lengthwise into strips, 1/4 inch thick
 1 cup prepared tomato sauce
 Fresh parsley, to garnish
For the Chard
 Olive oil
 1 bunch Swiss chard, thick stems at bottom removed
 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
 Coarse salt

1

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread a thin layer of oil. Lay sliced eggplant on prepared baking tray and sprinkle with a little coarse salt. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until tender and lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Lightly oil the bottom of a shallow baking dish and set aside.

In a food processor, blend the cashews, garlic, fresh herbs, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt. Blend, adding a little of the water at a time, to form a thick paste. Add enough water for blending so that the mixture is completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Place a slice of the cooled eggplant on a cutting board. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the cashew filling onto one end of the cooked eggplant slice. Roll into a log and place in the prepared baking dish. Continue until all the eggplant slices are rolled and in the baking dish. Spoon tomato sauce over the rolls. Cover with foil and bake for about 25 minutes.

While the eggplant is baking, cut the chard. Roll up several leaves of chard, like a cigar, and begin cutting into thin ribbons about 1/4 thick. Heat a large frying pan with a little olive oil over medium-high heat. Add greens and cook for a couple of minutes, then add sliced garlic and a few sprinkles of coarse salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 to 5 minutes until the leaves are wilted but not completely cooked. Remove from heat. To serve, place greens on center of plate, place one to two rollatini on top of the greens and drizzle with a little more tomato sauce. Sprinkle fresh parsley to garnish.