Croque Veggie: Buttery Tofu Eggplant Strata

You've heard of a Croque Monsieur?  Here's a vegetarian version.  Toasting and buttering takes bread, an otherwise quiet, subtle flavor, to another level.  Same with tofu.  They say you HAVE TO FLAVOR tofu.  Agreed - here's a great way.
1 brick extra-firm tofu, cut into 8 slices

Marinade:
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1 lime
2 tsp Tabasco, or other favorite hot sauce
palmful fresh mint leaves, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced

1 eggplant, cut into 4 slices
1 red pepper, cut into eight's
4 slices wide artisanal bread, Tuscan or Sourdough
1/2 lb mozzarella (or other favorite meltable) cheese, sliced
8 oz mushrooms (optional)

Whisk the marinade ingredients together and bathe the tofu slices in it, in a wide plate or casserole.

Let them sit at room temperature for at least 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat a grill to medium-high. Then get the tofu slices sautéing in a non-stick skillet with all the marinade. Cook them over moderate heat, so that they brown slowly, turning several times. This should take about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, spray the eggplant and the peppers with a bit of oil and grill for about 3-5 minutes a side. Grill until they soften a bit and the edges brown up.  The eggplant might cook a bit faster.

Blackening the skins of the peppers is a good (tasty) thing, so let the flames rip on! Salt the veggies generously with Kosher salt and set aside.

If serving with mushrooms, get them going in a bit of oil in a separate pan over high heat until they release what water they will. Then brown them up nicely and set aside.

Toast the bread on the grill. After flipping once, lay the cheese evenly about all the slices. Cover and allow the bread to toast and the cheese to melt. When ready, lay one toast on each of four plates. Top with a slice of grilled eggplant. Slant two slices of grilled peppers on top and then counter-angle two slices of tofu on top. If desired, top with some sautéed mushrooms.

Serves 4.