Toni’s Healthy Eggplant Parmesan Appetizer Recipe

You’ve been waiting for it; a delicious way to use your extra garden tomatoes and wow your friends and family at your next get together! This deliciously healthy and easy eggplant recipe can be used as an appetizer or entree.  As you may know, I am Italian and love all things from that beautiful Mediterranean country. This recipe combines the sweetness of fresh tomatoes and basil, with eggplant and mozzarella for a healthy, satisfying and versatile dish. I typically will make this as an entree, but recently used smaller, Japanese eggplants and served it as an appetizer. Not surprisingly, my friends absolutely raved and loved that it is also baked instead of fried, but you still get that crunchy texture filled with the delicate flavors of eggplant.

What to buy:

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 red onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

8 ounces mozzarella pearls

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup Parmesano-Reggiano, finely grated

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 pounds eggplant (Japanese for appetizers and Globe for an entree)

2 cups Panko, breadcrumbs or Glutino

2 large eggs, beaten

6 leaves fresh basil, sliced into ribbons

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. To make the tomato salad, combine the first five ingredients and set aside for flavors to meld
3. In a separate dish, combine whisked eggs
4. In a second dish combine breadcrumbs, salt and pepper
5. Slice eggplant into 1/2″ thick rounds
6. Dip in egg mixture, then into breadcrumbs
7. Place on lightly sprayed, nonstick baking sheet
8. Sprinkle each eggplant round with grated cheese
9. Place in single layer and bake in the oven until tender on the inside and lightly golden brown and crunchy on the outside
10. Allow the eggplant to rest for about 10 more minutes to continue to soften
11. Place on a platter in a single layer and top with the tomato salad

Delicioso

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