Grilled Eggplant Panini
Grilled eggplant is one of life's simpler pleasures: creamy and rich. Look for medium-size, purple eggplants with firm skins and no mushy spots. This end-of-summer treat will be even tastier if you can find the vegetables at a local farmstand--or in your own backyard!
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 8 1/2-inch slices eggplant, (about 1 small)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 8 slices whole-grain country bread
  • 8 thin slices fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3 cup sliced jarred roasted red peppers
  • 4 thin slices red onion
Directions
1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Combine mayonnaise and basil in a small bowl. Using 1 tablespoon oil, lightly brush both sides of eggplant and sprinkle each slice with garlic salt. With the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, brush one side of each slice of bread.
3. Grill the eggplant for 6 minutes, turn with a spatula, top with cheese, and continue grilling until the cheese is melted and the eggplant is tender, about 4 minutes more. Toast the bread on the grill, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
4. To assemble sandwiches: Spread basil mayonnaise on four slices of bread. Top with the cheesy eggplant, red peppers, onion and the remaining slices of bread. Cut in half and serve warm.
Nutrition Information
Per serving
Calories: 337
Carbohydrates: 36g
Fat: 16g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Monounsaturated Fat: 6g
Protein: 12g
Cholesterol: 22mg
Dietary Fiber: 7g
Potassium: 353mg
Sodium: 659mg
Nutrition Bonus: Folate (28% daily value), Calcium (25% dv), Selenium (23% dv), Iron (15% dv).
SERVES: 4
PREP TIME: 35 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
LEVEL: Easy
MEETS THESE GUIDELINES:
Low Calorie
High Fiber
High Calcium
Diabetes Appropriate
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Scaling Disclaimer: EatingWell recipes are tested extensively in the EatingWell Test Kitchen. Eating Well cannot guarantee a recipe that has been scaled to make a different number of servings from the original. Also note that scaling only applies to the ingredient measurements: no adjustment is made to the recipe instructions, so pan sizes and cooking times and ingredient amounts referred to in the text of the recipe only apply to the original number of servings.