Tonight’s recipe from Raddish Kids culminated in a very special event – a dinner date with Daddy!

But first, Travis and I needed to cook. “Is this our next Raddish?” he asks excitedly now when I invite him to join me in the kitchen. This particular Eggplant Parmesan was the vegan replacement to the kit’s Chicken Parmesan. I briefly considered using a chicken filet such as Gardein, but decided we’d stay true to Raddish’s dietary modifications, since they so considerately include one for every recipe.

First, I sliced a 1-pound eggplant into 1/2-inch thick slices. Travis was in charge of placing these on a paper towel, quite proud to do so.

We salted both sides of the eggplant using a scant 2 teaspoons salt (Note: This meant we later omitted the salt when it would have been added to the chicken). Let stand for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, we prepped three bowls. Into the first went 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

We made three flax eggs in the second bowl. Travis loved whisking! The final bowl received 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs and 2/3 cup vegan Parmesan sprinkles. Travis mixed the ingredients together, pretending they were potions or medicines.

He loved the 3-step breading technique that followed. The eggplant first went into the flour mixture, then in the flax eggs, and finally in the breaded topping.

We arranged these slices on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and coated in cooking spray.

Top each eggplant slice with 2 tablespoons marinara sauce. We had previously whipped up a quick homemade batch, using Raddish’s recipe:

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 minced garlic cloves (Travis got to use his garlic rocker!). Cook for 1 minute.

Add 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, 4 minced basil leaves,  and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 15 minutes.

After adding the marinara, we sprinkled each eggplant slice with about 2 tablespoons shredded Daiya mozzarella. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Now for the special date! Travis and I used the provided Set the Table guide to make his dinner table extra special.

What a neat trick it included for remembering where things go: bread on the lower case b side and drinks on the lower case d side, formed by your fingers.

A few final touches and it was time to invite Daddy over to eat!