Oven Roasted Veggies

This was seriously so yum. I left the skin on the eggplant, which my son didn't particularly care for, but other than that it got rave reviews. I made my own Vegan Mayo, but feel free to use Veganaise or any other vegan mayo you have on hand if you prefer.

1 c. dry brown rice
2 very small or 1 medium eggplant
1 white or yellow onion
6 Roma tomatoes
8-10 baby portabello mushrooms or 1 large portabello mushroom
Olive oil
Basil
Thyme
Oregano
Real Salt
1/2 c. veggie broth
4-6 T. Vegan Mayo (if you want homemade the recipe will follow)

Grease a 13x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill a large sauce pan halfway with hot water (a minimum of 3 cups) and bring to a boil over high heat. Add rice, return to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes or until rice is tender. Meanwhile, proceed with recipe.

Cut eggplant into cubes (peel before cutting if desired - I like it better with the skin on). Halve onion and slice into half-moon rings. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise, then into three sections the other direction. Remove stems from mushrooms and slice (if using a large portabello cut into cubes).

Place all vegetables in baking dish. I deliberately left out measurements for the spices because I figure individual tastes will vary so much. Season with basil, oregano, thyme and salt according to preference. Toss veggies if desired, but this is not necessary. Drizzle with olive oil and pour veggie broth into baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until highly aromatic. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until all vegetables are very tender.

Let stand while making Vegan Mayo (if doing so). Combine 1 12 oz package extra firm silken tofu, 1 1/2 T. ground mustard, 1 T. Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 T. Lemon Juice, and 1 t. Real Salt. Blend in a blender, food processor, or with a hand blender (the hand blender is easiest). Add additional seasonings if necessary. You could also add a little Bragg's Liquid Aminos or Nutritional Yeast if desired.

Add 4 to 6 T. Vegan Mayo to vegetable mixture, stirring to combine. If you have chosen to make your Mayo, the remainder will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

When rice is finished cooking, drain water and return to pan. Serve vegetables over the rice. Makes about 6 servings (for hungry teenage boys).

Note: I prefer to make things like sour "cream" and Vegan Mayo for the simple fact that it costs less to make it from scratch. For example, the Vegan Mayo I describe here costs no more than $1.75 (and that's if I can't find the tofu on sale which I can about half of the time), and Veganaise I have seen in health food stores costs upwards of $5.50 or more. The vegan sour cream also costs about $1.75. I have never purchased the vegan version in the store, but even the dairy version costs over $2.00 (and don't get me started on the other "costs" associated with buying commercially processed dairy). It just makes sense to make the things we can because it saves so much money. In our Great Recession, who couldn't use a little extra dough?