roasted eggplant and tomato short stacks with lemon-thyme drizzle
19. May, 2011 
15 Comments
Chris and I went to an Italian restaurant in the neighborhood for dinner last night, and although neither of us ordered it, we both eyed the eggplant parmesan as one of our favorite dishes. Lately though, I just haven’t been able to stomach so much cheese, and the best eggplant parmesan is one oozing and overflowing with cheese. So instead, I wanted to try making a vegan “eggplant parmesan” that would substitute the cheese for fresh ingredients.
The resulting dish is too far from eggplant parmesan to honestly give it that title. These little eggplant short stacks won’t leave you wanting a nap after lunch or cause heavy breathing at the thought of standing up to do the dishes. They’re individual-sized, and three or four for lunch with a side of grains or salad is perfect. The whole process took only twenty minutes, and most of it is baking time that doesn’t require much attention. I really like almost any meal that features eggplant, but with the touch of lemon and thyme, this one will have a regular slot on my lunch menu. I’ve got loads of thyme spilling out of my garden right now, which is not only one of my favorite spices but boosts the immune system, and pairing it with lemon juice makes a light and healthy sauce for any pasta or roasted veggie dish.
This is shared with Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Cafe Lynnylu, the House Favorites series chez Cayenne, the Simple and In Season blog hop at Fabulicious Food, and full plate Thursdays at Miz Helen’s.
Eggplant and Tomato Short Stacks with Lemon-Thyme Drizzle
Makes about ten short stacks, enough for 3 as an entrée or 5-6 as an appetizer. Total time: 20 minutes.
- 1 medium eggplant
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian spice blend
- olive oil for roasting
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3-5 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 375. Starting at the short end, cut off the top of the eggplant and slice thinly. Arrange on a cookie sheet so that the eggplant slices lay flat and there is minimal overlap. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil and sprinkle with Italian spices, salt, and pepper. Add the whole garlic cloves in their shells onto the baking pan as well. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until eggplant is soft and floppy, but not so overcooked that a slice falls apart when you try to pick it up.
When the eggplant is done, carefully peel the garlic and set aside to cool. Slice the tomatoes in thin slivers, and then cut in half once. Place two slices on top of a slice of eggplant, then using a spatula, stack another piece of eggplant on top of the tomato. Add two more slices of tomato, and top with one more piece of eggplant, so there are three layers of eggplant and two of tomato (sort of like a club sandwich). Turn the oven up to broil and roast for 3 minutes, until you can hear the juices from the tomato sizzling on the pan.
Once cool enough to handle, mince the garlic. In a small bowl, add fresh thyme, garlic, lemon and olive oil. Top each eggplant-tomato short stack with the drizzle and garnish with thyme before serving.
This Roasted Eggplant and Tomato looks delicious. I love your presentation in the stack. Great idea and great recipe. Thanks for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and come back soon!
I know what you mean about Eggplant Parmesan being a bit too much sometimes. This looks like an awesome light alternative. So pretty, too! Thanks for sending it to House Favorites.
Wow this looks tasty and it is a great twist on a classic for those times you don’t fancy too much cheese. I can’t wait to try it, thanks so much for entering Simple and in Season!
This month’s House Favorites wrap up is up. Come take a look!
Very nice quick supper dish – I’ve made this with mozzarella before which a good, but cheesier, alternative.
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