Eggplant with Baked Tomatoes & Tomato Ajvar Sauce (Vegetarian, Gluten & Grain Free)
This is a delicious, flavorful yet light and fresh dish that is great to serve either as a starter, main course or as a side dish.
Servings 2
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 1 can Canned tomatoes
- 3-5 tbsp Ajvar (I used a spicy one)
- 2 Garlic cloves minced
- Sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Olive oil
Other ingredients
- 150 g Mixed cherry tomatoes
- 1 Yellow bell pepper sliced
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- 1 small Eggplant sliced
- 1 package Mozzarella sliced
- 1/2-1 package Feta cheese crumbled
- Pistachio nuts roughly chopped
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
- Slice the eggplant into an equal amount of slices. Cover with sea salt and let sit for 10-15 min.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and bell pepper to an oven safe baking pan, drizzle with a little olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Bake in the oven for 18-20 min.
- Meanwhile preheat a nonstick pan over medium heat with some olive oil.
- Fry the garlic until soft and golden brown. Add the crushed tomatoes, ajvar and season with sea salt and black pepper. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat a grill pan/non stick pan over medium heat with a little olive oil.
- Rinse the eggplant with water and dry path using a paper towel.
- Fry the eggplant for 3-4 minutes on each side, until grill marks start to form and it is soft.
- When about 2-3 minutes remain for the tomatoes to be done in the oven take half of the eggplant slices, top with mozzarella and crumbled feta cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 2-3 minutes, until the cheese has melted a bit.
- Place the tomato ajvar sauce at the bottom of two plates. Divided the eggplant halves that does not have any cheese on them on top of the sauce.
- Divide the baked tomatoes between the eggplant slices, top with the cheese baked eggplant slices.
- Top with fresh basil and chopped pistachio nuts.