GRILLED EGGPLANT BRUSCHETTA

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not carb-averse. I'm Asian, so I'm preprogrammed to consume large quantities of rice and noodles. Lately, though, I've been shying away from carb heavy meals. Maybe it's the beginning of summer, our upcoming Hawaiian vacation, getting serious about reducing the ever-present bloat or a new drive to consume more veggies than starches. Either way, I'm loving it and strangely don't miss eating noodles and bread as much as I thought I would.

Second to Korean food, Italian food is my favorite cuisine. Variations on bruschetta are endless and I have yet to meet a version I don't like, but I was looking for a way to use more eggplant so why not replace the bread in bruschetta with our purple friend? More nutrients, fewer carbs, taking advantage of summer's bounty and more veggies in one meal. In the amount of time the slices of eggplant grill, you can prep the topping. And while the eggplant slices don't have the structure of bread to pick up and eat, using a fork and knife turns this dish into more of a meal than antipasti.

GRILLED EGGPLANT BRUSCHETTA

serves ~ 4 people

The topping is great with a myriad of dishes (chicken and pita sandwiches being a great choice), so I like to make a double batch and keep it in the fridge. If you do this, or plan to make the topping ahead of time, add the mint and goat cheese just before serving. Adding the mint too early will make it brown and the goat cheese will make it milky. 

1 1/4 lb eggplant (about 1 large or 2 small/medium), sliced into 1/2" disks
2 Tbs olive oil + 3 Tbs
salt and pepper
1 lb tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 cup peeled and seeded cucumber, diced
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, diced
1/4 cup minced mint leaves
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles

Drizzle 2 Tbs olive oil over both sides of the eggplant slices and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
On a hot grill, grill eggplant until softened, about 5-6 minutes each side.
While the eggplant is grilling, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, olives, mint, 3 Tbs olive oil and vinegar in a bowl.
Once the eggplant is cooked, place tomato mixture on top, sprinkle with goat cheese, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper to taste.