Hi, Foodies! Happy Friday!
Sometimes, inspiration just strikes like a bolt of lightening. Other times, it happens because you have food on hand that you don’t want to waste. This recipe was born from one of those times.
I brought home a beautiful graffiti eggplant because, even though I already had a vegetable I was supposed to cook with dinner, I’m weak when it comes to pretty veggies! I also had a tomato threatening to die in the vegetable drawer and a lovely block of smoked mozzarella that came with a cheese basket we were gifted for Christmas. Put them all together and a new favorite recipe is born!
Great as an appetizer, vegetable, or salad course!
Ingredients:
1 eggplant
1 tomato
mozzarella chesse
about 1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves crushed garlic
fresh basil
seasoning
optional: balsamic drizzle
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash and slice eggplant and tomato.
Mix crushed garlic with about a half cup of olive oil (you can always add more) and seasoning. I used Nature’s Seasoning because it’s a flavorful combination and saves time, but the staples are salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Dip eggplant and tomato slices into olive oil mixture coating well (use that garlic!), and place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove baking sheet and place a thin slice of mozzarella on eggplant slices. Put tomato slices on top of cheese and eggplant, then top with another thin slice of cheese.
Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and top with fresh basil. Serve.
It’s great as it is, but drizzling a little balsamic glaze takes this recipe to an entirely new level!
If you try it, please let me know if you like it!
Check back next Friday for another Foodie Flavor!
Shannon Hollinger 
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