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This is no ordinary pizza! It makes a delicious and beautiful vegetable side dish or appetizer for family meals or entertaining.
Ingredients:
1 regular or 3 or 4 Asian eggplants, about 1 pound as purchased (peeled weight 14 ounces)
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (2 oz) sun-dried tomatoes packed in garlic-flavored olive oil (plus 1 tablespoon of the oil)
¼ cup (2 oz) Marinara Sauce (Nourished, p. 295) or purchased no-sugar added marinara sauce
6 ounces (1½ cups) shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese
¼ cup (1 oz) chopped red onion
4 slices (¼ pound raw) bacon, cooked until almost crisp and chopped
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat broiler and grease a rimmed baking sheet.
Cut ends off eggplant and peel if desired. (The dark skin looks pretty, but it may be tough.) Cut eggplant into ½-thick slices. Salt both sides of the eggplant slices and place in a colander or a paper towel-lined bowl to draw out the bitter juices and remove excess moisture. Put a heavy dish on top to press out the liquid. Let stand for 1 hour. Rinse to remove the salt and blot dry with paper towels.
Brush both sides of slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in a single layer on baking sheet. Broil 5 to 6 inches from heat source for about 5 minutes or until starting to brown. Turn over and broil for an additional 5 to 6 minutes until second side starts to brown and eggplant is cooked but still firm.
If sun-dried tomatoes are not already cut into small pieces, cut them with kitchen scissors or knife, reserving garlic flavored oil. Place in a medium bowl and add 1 tablespoon of the flavored oil and Marinara Sauce. Spread sauce on eggplant slices, dividing equally. Cover with cheese. Sprinkle chopped onion over cheese and top with bacon pieces. Broil for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. Watch carefully so bacon doesn’t burn.
Grind fresh black pepper over pizzas. Serve hot as a side dish, as an appetizer, or a snack.
Makes 6 servings. Per serving—
Total carbs: 6.5g; Net carbs: 3.7g; Protein: 8.5g; Fiber: 2.8g; Fat:11.5 g; Calories: 161
Total weight: 1 pound 7¼ ounces or 658 grams
Weight per serving: 37/8 ounces or 109 grams
Preparation time: 25 minutes active, 70 minutes total
VARIATION: You may use a slice or two of pepperoni per pizza instead of bacon. Microwave pepperoni on paper towels for a few seconds to remove some of the grease before using.
Tips:
For more uniform slices, choose a long, thin eggplant, rather than a fat, round one. A one-pound eggplant will yield about 18 (½-inch-thick) slices of varied diameter. Substitute 1 pound of small Chinese or Japanese eggplants to make appetizer-sized servings.
To substitute dry tomatoes for oil packed: place ¼ cup of chopped, dried tomatoes and 1 peeled and minced clove of garlic in a small saucepan or a microwave dish with enough extra-virgin olive oil to cover. Heat through. Mix with Marinara Sauce as directed in recipe.
“The 236 recipes in 52 menus contained in Nourished demonstrate just how sumptuous, indulgent, and satisfying this way of eating can be.”
(c) 2015, Judy Barnes Baker, www.carbwars.blogspot.com
