I’m an Eggplant (Aubergine, if you swing that way) convert. It’s a hardy vegetable and works great as a meat replacement for Meatless Mondays. The vegetable does a good job of soaking up the flavor of whatever you cook it with, while keeping its own mild earthy flavor as a compliment.
For this dish, we are talking:
Basil – King of the herbs.
Tomato – Did anyone ever go wrong with Basil & Tomato? No.
Olive oil – Make sure you use the good stuff, Organic, Cold-Pressed, Italian.
Cheese – A mix of fresh mozzarella and cream cheese. Need I say more?
It’s simply delicious. Low in calories. Vegetarian. Good for you. Okay bye.
Serves 3
Ingredients
- 1 large Eggplant (cut into 1/4-inch slices)
- * ½ cup soft cheese + ¼ cup fresh mozzarella
- * 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
- 2 tablespoons, olive oil
- Salt & Black Pepper
Directions
- Preheat grill to medium.
- Lay the eggplants slices flat and salt them on both sides. Allow it rest for 15-20 minutes, and you’ll see that the eggplant will release a lot of moisture.
- Pat each slices dry with a kitchen towel and drizzle with tablespoon of the olive oil. Rub the oil in with your fingers to coat evenly, and grill for 5- 6 minutes on each side.
- In an oven safe pan, layer the tomato sauce. Then to assemble the stuffed eggplant, mix the cream cheese with the fresh mozzarella.
- Lay each eggplant slice down and fill horizontally on the narrow side. Grab the filed tip and roll it on to it self.
- Place each piece in the tomato sauce till, all the eggplant slices are used up. Top fresh basil, dried onion flakes and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Return to the oven and cook for another 5 minutes till the cheese start to melt. Serve hot and enjoy.
NOTES
- Cream cheese, goat cheese or ricotta will work really well.
*I used an organic store bought brand, because it was convenient for a weeknight meal. BUT if you fancy making your own sauce from scratch, I reckon my Shashouka sauce will be delicious here or this Tomato Ragu.