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Recipes
Eggplant Parm Panini
Written on March 29, 2011
I don't know about you, but there is nothing better than eggplant, grilled, sauteed, it's just fantabulous. I found this recipe in Clean Eating (March 2011) and changed it up a bit. Enjoy with a spinach salad on the side with rasberry balsamic vinegar. Yum!
Ingredients
* 1 medium eggplant, cut in to 1/2" cubes
* 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
* 2 medium plum tomatoes, seeded, cut in to 1/2" cubes
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 tsp dried parsley or 1 TBSP fresh
* 1/2 tsp dried oregano or 1 TBSP fresh
* 1/2 tsp dried basil or 1 TBSP fresh
* 1/4 c part-skim ricotta (organic)
* 2 oz organic fresh mozzarella (sliced)
* 3 TBSP grated organic parmesan cheese
* 4 Ezekiel sprouted grain wraps (large)
Instructions
* Heat a large saute pan on med-high. When pan is hot, add eggplant and garlic and stir for about 5 minutes or until eggplant starts to soften up. Add tomato and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add herbs and saute for about 5 more minutes, stirring regularly. Reduce heat and cover pan, allowing veggies to simmer for about 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
* In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta and parmesan.
* Spread 2 TBSP of cheese mixture in center of 1 wrap, add a few slices of mozzarella and top with a quarter of eggplant mixture on top of cheeses. Pull bottom of wrap up over filling. Fold both sides inward so creases form at the ends of the filling, creating a pouch. Fold down top 2 corners, similar to wrapping the side of a gift box. Finally, hold the remaining top edge of the wrap and pull it down toward the center of the pouch, like the top of an envelope flap. Repeat steps with remaining wraps, cheeses, eggplant filling.
* Place wrap on a hot panini press (I use my George Foreman and it works fine), flap-side down. Press wrap for about 2 minutes or until lightly toasted or "grill" marks are visible. You can also do this in a pan, but you'll have to flip it after 2 minutes and toast it for another 2 minutes.
Serve immediately.