Eggplant Cannelloni

ok, I get it, this is not really cannelloni.  The only true similarity between this and cannelloni is that tube shapes are stuffed and baked- plus lots of tomato sauce, parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Anyway, my version is healthier, vegetarian and gluten free! wooohooo!

My girlfriends and I try and get together once mid-week for a girls night.  This week, we decided to stay in at one of our houses and have a potluck.
My girlfriends and I are all healthy foodies, meaning we loooove good/whole food (none of that processed sh*t) lots of seasonal veggies, eating out at new SF restaurants, and we especially enjoy the cuisine of all cultures.  With that said, a lot of my girlfriends choose to eat vegetarian for health, animal rights and environmental reasons.

I actually was not a big fan of this eggplant cannelloni, I don’t like mushy food, I like my meals to have a crunch and some texture.  Everyone loved it though, so I thought I’d share it anyway.
I used Quinoa for the filling instead of ground meat (keeping it a full protein too).

Ingredients:
2 globe eggplants, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup ricotta (full fat)
pesto and sun dried tomatoes (store bought is fine)
Chili flakes
1 Jar of tomato sauce
Fresh basil chopped
Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375
Brush 2 baking sheets with olive oil and place the eggplant in a single layer
Brush both sides with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt
Roast for 10 minutes, flip the slices over and switch the pans in the oven
Continue roasting for 6 minutes
Let cool
Meanwhile, combine the quinoa, ricotta, pesto sauce and chili flakes to taste
Pour a little sauce into the bottom of your baking dish
On a clean surface, roll th eggplant around 1/4 cup of the filling
Arrange neatly in the baking dish
Top with tomato sauce, parmesan cheese and fresh basil
Cover with foil
Bake for 1 hour.
Remove the foil and continue baking for 15 minutes
Let rest for 15 minutes before serving
Top with fresh basil and cheese.  An arugula and radicchio salad would be perfect served along side.