tomato and eggplant bruschetta

The basil growing just steps from my kitchen has proven to be a powerful inspiration lately.  Today I made a delicious bruschetta if I do say so myself!  My aunt and owner of Espresso Restaurant in Gloucester has an amazing eggplant bruschetta on her menu and I wanted to try to recreate it myself.  Rather than breading and pan frying the eggplant, I let it marinate in a little olive oil, lots of garlic and crushed red pepper then sauteed it.  It's a really simple and inexpensive recipe and definitely worthy of serving at a party as an appetizer.  With robust flavors of fresh local ingredients, you really can't go wrong! 

 Tomato and Eggplant Bruschetta (serves 4)
Ingredients:
2 ripe tomatoes
approx. 1/3 eggplant
3-4 cloves garlic, divided
crushed red pepper, to taste (~1 tbsp)
1 handful fresh basil (about 1/4 cup chopped)
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1/8 c. vegetable broth
2 tsp grated parmesan cheese
salt, to taste
basil leaves to garnish


Start by chopping the eggplant into cubes.  Place in a ziplock bag, add 2 tsp olive oil, 2 large cloves fresh garlic, pressed or finely chopped and the crushed red pepper.  I did this about 2 hours before I started preparing the rest of the bruschetta.  

 When you're ready to start, heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a sauteing pan on low heat and add the eggplant.  Stir constantly so the eggplant doesn't stick.  Add the vegetable broth and cook until the eggplant softens, about 10-15 minutes.  I added a little extra basil in the pan too.  Set aside (cool in the fridge).

Next chop the tomatoes into chunks and place in medium bowl.  Add a light sprinkle of salt.  Then chop the basil and add it to the bowl.  Next add two more cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped.  And then add the balsamic vinegar. 

Once the eggplant is no longer hot, add it to the bowl.  Then add the grated cheese.  I used Kraft reduced fat grated cheese (it comes in a green container). 

The longer the bruschetta sits, the more the flavors will marry and the better it gets!  
To serve, I bought a loaf of sliced Tuscan whole wheat bread and I used two slices, cut in half.  I sprayed a piece of tin foil with a little cooking spray, spread 1/4 tsp light Smart Balance "butter" spread on each slice, then sprinkled with garlic powder.   I cooked the bread at 350 degees, flipped the slices after 5 minutes or so, cooked another 5 minutes then put them directly on the rack for another 2-3 minutes.  Just stand close to the oven and watch so they don't burn.  This is one of my favorite recipes on the blog thus far, you definitely have to make this!  

Calorie Count:  Eggplant bruschetta yields approximately 65 calories per serving.  If served atop two whole slices toasted Tuscan wheat bread calorie count increases to 240 calories.