eating my vegetables.

One of my goals for the new year is to find creative (yummy!) ways to cook vegetables.  I'm not sure how creative this is, but it was definitely tasty, stimulating to the eye, and fun (and easy) to make.  This will be my new go to lunch at home, but will also be great as a side dish or served with pasta.

Eggplant and Zucchini Stack

1 Japanese eggplant

1 large zucchini

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

parmesan cheese

mozzarella cheese

homemade marinara or the best jarred you can find 

Slice eggplant and zucchini, lengthwise, into three strips.  Gently toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Lay on cookie sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping after 10.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and roast another two minutes.  Meanwhile, heat a 1/2 a cup (I didn't measure!) of marinara in microwave.  Stack slices alternating zucchini and eggplant.  Cut in half on a diagonal.  Pour hot marinara over both stacks and grate mozzarella over the top.  Sprinkle with more salt and fresh ground pepper. 

Cook's Notes:

1. I trim a bit of the skin off both the eggplant and zucchini.

2. Salt is seriously important!

3. I used that (dreaded) green can of parmesan (which Sparky loves) because I didn't have any fresh.  Next time I'll use fresh but it was actually great this way.

4. Pretty sure I grated gruyere over the top because that's what I grabbed with the two year old hanging on my legs.  But my intention was mozzarella. =)

5. My marinara of choice is Rao's which I've mentioned before.  I like it better than homemade to be quite honest!

6. Next time I will add crushed red pepper before roasting the veggies.