Baked eggplant with walnut mushroom crumble

So today is Sunday which means I was sitting at a cafe having my coffee, stimulated by the general public and their interactions with one another. So naturally as I type away at this recipe I can't help but listen in on conversations around me! Don't pretend like you guys don't either! It's like when people say that they have never peed in the shower....who the f**k gets OUT of the shower to pee?? Lies! Anyway this morning I wasn't amazed at what I heard, mainly because most people were just talking about OTHER people. Which is generally the case these days. Which is really starting to bug me! Does anyone else think that catching up with friends or loved ones just to talk or gossip about others is a commmmmm-plete waste of time???  Exactly. If I am talking to you, i want to hear about YOU!! So aaaaaanyway instead the pearler I have is from my train ride to work this week. There is a young girl I see every morning, but on this day she was with her boyfriend. And she totally came alive and said the cutest most beautiful thing......

18/06/15 train in between Footscray and North Melbourne.....

Boy:  "But how do we know??"
Girl: "We don't, we just know it in our hearts..."

Awwwww isn't that gorgeous??  She so passionately wants to open her own cafe :-)

Ok food time!!

Baked eggplant with walnut mushroom crumble

Stuff you need!

1 medium sized eggplant halved length ways

2 table spoons of olive oil

pinch of salt

For the crumble

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 cup of activated walnuts (soak your nuts and don’t be lazy!)

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs cumin powder

2 teaspoons of dried coriander or powder

1 tsp tamari or coconut aminos

salt

pepper


What to do with it!!

1. Pre heat oven to 180 degrees and place eggplant halves on a foil lined baking tray, cut sides up.
2. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle each half with a tablespoon of oil and rub in. Bake for approximately 20-25 mins or until the tops brown. Then flip over for 5 mins.
3. While eggplant is baking, place all ingredients for the crumble in a food processor except the salt and pepper and pulse until you have a chunky crumbly texture. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Once eggplant is done serve on a bed of baby spinach and top the eggplant halves with crumble mixture.

Tips and tricks for crumble!

• Substitute the dried coriander for fresh coriander and add in some fresh or sun dried tomatoes
• Add in a half an avocado diced with some cumber and a squeeze of lemon juice
• Add some dried, cranberries, sultanas or chopped dates

What else can you use the crumble for??

•         a raw vegan san choi bow served in lettuce cups
•        used as a vegan mince meat in hard or soft shelled tacos
•         filling for rice paper rolls or wrap in Nori sheets for sushi
•            use as a stuffing for a roast or in baked chicken breasts