** Preface note: My poor Mediterranean eggplant dish. Delicious, and yet destined for deletion. “What…?”
I had painstakingly made step-by-step pictures for this for those who, like myself, are visually oriented, and alas in my Media Library Deletion Debacle of 2018, I learned the hard way NOT to “declutter” your library because it effectively wipes out any pictures likewise from your already-published posts. So, long story short, there are no real pictures, and none saved elsewhere (because this OCD tool cleared out her Google drive as well), but I’ll at least throw up an eggplant picture for the featured photo. You know… for posterity sake. *queue eye roll and muffled crying*
On a brighter note, head over to my Favorite Kitchen Tools post to inspect a garlic press and knife sharpener (both which came in handy with this dish). ๐
Mediterranean Eggplant Bake
If you crave a veggie pizza or eggplant parmesan but don't want the heavy carb content, this is a great and easy-to-make substitute for those watching the calories!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves fresh garlic
- 1 onion (vidalia)
- 1 can black olives (pre-sliced)
- 1 package baby bella mushrooms
- 1 jar pizza sauce
- 1 med-large eggplant
seasoning to taste: pink Himalayan salt, black pepper, oregano, basil
Instructions
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Wash the eggplant, and prepare your cutting board and knife. Cut the eggplant in relatively thin slices, and set to the side.
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Get a mixing bowl. Toss in the drained can of olives. Peel the onion, loosely chop, and add to the "filling" bowl.
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Lightly wash mushrooms, and loosely slice. Add to fillings bowl.
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Peel garlic cloves, cut off coarse tips, and use garlic press (check out my article on "My Favorite Kitchen Tools" for more info!) to get finely pressed garlic, and toss into the fillings bowl.
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Add your seasonings (to taste) to the filling bowl with the olive oil, and mix well until everything is evenly distributed and coated. Feel free to preheat the oven (I used my TOASTER OVEN) to 375* at this point...
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In a no-stick baking pan (or casserole dish), put down a thin layer of the pizza sauce to start.
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In layering the casserole dish, you'll want to start with the largest/thickest slices of the eggplant, and work in layers to the smallest/thinnest pieces. Take a few to cover the bottom of the pan, then toss on some of the filling mixture.
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Drizzle a moderate layer of pizza sauce across the eggplant and filling. Repeat the process: Eggplant slices -> filling -> sauce drizzle, until everything is layered up.
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The final filled pan SHOULD look something like this. At that point, cover the casserole dish snugly with aluminum foil, and it's ready for the pre-heated oven!
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Set the timer for 25 minutes, and you're good to go. You can eat this plain, on top of pasta, or melt some vegan cheese on top to add a "parmesan" effect if you choose.
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