Eggplant Lasagna (Sans Noodles)

My local grocery store has had killer deals on eggplants lately, so I've been going a little nuts in the kitchen experimenting with the delectable, purple veggie. I came up with this recipe based on flavors that I was in the mood for. It's kind of like a veggie lasagna, because it is a layered dish that's baked; however there's no pasta in this dish. 

Pre-heat oven for 350 degrees

- In a large frying pan or wok saute the following (line the pan with olive oil): 

1 heaping tablespoon of crushed garlic

1/2 large sweet onion - chopped (small bite sized pieces)

1 medium size eggplant (cut into thin slices and quartered)

4 or 5 grinds of sea salt

4 or 5 grinds of pepper

3 or 4 shakes of paprika

3 or 4 shakes of dried basil

4 or 5 shakes of red pepper flakes

2 good shakes of seasoning salt

- Saute until all the eggplant pieces are soft. 

- In a large rectangular baking dish add contents in this order....

1. Pour 1/4 jar of spaghetti sauce (I like Trader Joe's organic marinara) lining the bottom of the pan (pour in more if needed to cover bottom f pan)

2. Add sautéed mixture evenly across pan as the next layer

3. Dabble 1/4 of spaghetti sauce here and there

4. Add 1 package of fake ground beef as the next layer (frozen is fine)

5. Place fresh spinach as the next layer (I used approximately two large handfuls of spinach)

6. Slice 8 to 12 medium sized mushrooms. Use enough mushrooms to form a complete layer over the spinach. 

7. Pour the remaining sauce over the mushrooms, covering them as a full layer. 

8. Grate soy mozzarella and sprinkle across the top. 

Bake uncovered for approximately 35 minutes. 

I served this dish on top of seasoned, sliced, baked polenta.