Tag: tomato

Eggplant Caprese Stacks with Balsamic Glaze

 

Eggplant Caprese Stacks

Trader Joe’s grocery store has become a favorite destination for me to do my grocery shopping. Not only are the prices hard to beat, but I love their selection of prepared frozen items from their signature line. I rarely make eggplant, so when I came across these breaded eggplant cutlets at Trader Joe’s I had to buy them. They crisp up super quick in the oven and take all the work out of having to batter and coat your own eggplant cutlets. I knew they would be amazing in a caprese recipe. Traditionally, caprese type salads are made with mozzarella, tomato and basil–so the crispiness of the eggplant kicks it up a notch and makes it more of a hearty, satisfying dish. These eggplant caprese stacks with balsamic glaze would make a terrific side dish to just about any entree or a delicious vegetarian entree option.

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Eggplant Caprese Stacks wit Balsamic Glaze

Yield: 4 stacks

Eggplant Caprese Stacks wit Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients

  • For Glaze:
  • 1/2 c balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • For Eggplant Stacks:
  • 8 eggplant cutlets (trader joes brand)
  • 2 large tomatoes, sliced to 1/4 inch thick slices
  • 1 large mozzarella ball, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
  • 8 basil leaves
  • Sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

  1. To Make Glaze:
  2. Combine ingredients over med/low heat in a small saucepan. Stir until sugar dissolves.
  3. Bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until thickened.
  4. Pour into a container and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
  5. For Stacks:
  6. Cook eggplant cutlets in oven until crispy and lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly.
  7. Layer slices of eggplant, tomato, mozzarella and basil. Repeat and then create another stack. Season with salt and pepper.
  8. Drizzle with balsamic glaze before serving.
http://freshandfit.org/eggplant-caprese-stacks-with-balsamic-glaze/

Eggplant Caprese Stacks 1

Oven Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Pita Pizza


Oven Roasted Tomato Pita Pizza

If you are like me and you live in an area of the country transitioning into fall and cooler weather, you may be looking for something to do with your final tomato harvest. This recipe is the perfect way to use the last of your tomatoes. You can ripen any green tomatoes in a paper bag for a about a week. That is exactly what I did with the rest of mine. Oven roasted tomatoes are an awesome way to condense all the great flavor of tomatoes and bring out the natural sugars by slow roasting them. Then you can freeze or can them and use them in pasta sauce or right on top of pizza like we are going to do today. Instead of using pizza sauce, we are going to top our tomato and ricotta pita pizzas with roasted balsamic tomatoes. So yummy!

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Oven Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Pita Pizza

Serving Size: 2 pita pizzas

Oven Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Pita Pizza

Ingredients

  • FOR TOMATOES
  • 4 large tomatoes of your liking, sliced in half lengthwise (I used the Polish variety from my garden)
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tbsp chopped basil
  • FOR RICOTTA TOPPING
  • 1 c whole milk ricotta
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp basil, chopped and divided
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp chili flakes (optional)
  • 2 large pita breads

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, sea salt balsamic vinegar and tomatoes. Use hands to coat tomatoes with the mixture.
  3. Set tomatoes on baking sheet cut side up. drizzle with any leftover oil and vinegar from the bowl.
  4. Top with basil. Place in oven. Cook 1.5 hours until tomatoes shrivel and begin to brown around the edges.
  5. While tomatoes cook, prepare the ricotta topping by combining ricotta cheese, oregano, lemon zest, chili flakes and sea salt. refrigerate until tomatoes are ready.
  6. Remove tomatoes from oven and allow to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  7. Spoon ricotta mixture onto pita bread.
  8. Top with tomatoes and place on baking sheet. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil.
http://freshandfit.org/oven-roasted-tomato-and-ricotta-pita-pizza/