Eggplant with Whipped Feta and Tomatoes

Are you an eggplant lover? It’s one of my go to vegetables for a delicious main dish recipe. Packed with fiber and low in calories, eggplant can be a great vehicle for other flavors. This Meatless Monday recipe for Cripsy Eggplant with Whipped Feta, Roasted Tomatoes and Mint will show you exactly what I mean.

First – the 411 on Eggplant goodness:

• Eggplant is high in copper and potassium making them a good energy booster
• Bioflavonoids are known to reduce stress and lower blood pressure. Eggplant has many.
• Eggplants are a rich source of phenolic compounds which act as antioxidants.

As a Meatless Monday blogger, I was recently invited by Dominex to try their eggplant cutlets and create a recipe for their newsletter. The frozen breaded eggplant cutlets make quick work out of meal planning, contain no GMO ingredients and are cholesterol free.  They  could easily be used in a variety of recipes.  I found myself inspired by the cookbooks of Ottolenghi and thought this blend of Middle Eastern flavors would work well together. The combination of a feta and yogurt topping would keep the calorie content healthy and mix well with the ingredients of roasted tomatoes and mint.

I’ll admit I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to tomatoes, and until the summer beauties come in, I’d rather crank up the flavor by popping them in the oven to really enhance their natural sweetness. I’ve also found when you find that box of cherry tomatoes in the back of the fridge and they are a tad past their prime, this technique is a good one for extending their life.

Eggplant Cutlets with Whipped Feta and Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients: serves 4

• Cherry tomatoes
• 4 0z. feta cheese
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt (I use Stonyfield)
• 3 T. olive oil
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 1 1b. package Dominex breaded frozen eggplant cutlets
• 2 T. chopped mint

Roasted Tomatoes

Preheat oven to 250º. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Toss lightly in a bowl with 1 T. olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake on a piece of parchment paper for approx. 1 1/2 hours. I always make extra when doing this, as they keep quite well in the fridge covered with olive oil. They are like sun dried tomatoes and can be tossed into salads and dips.

Whipped Feta

While tomatoes are roasting, put feta, yogurt, 2 T. olive oil, 2 T. lemon juice in food processor fitted with metal blade. Mix ingredients until smooth. Taste, and flavor with salt and pepper (but remember feta is very salty).

Bake eggplant cutlets according to instructions. Flip half way through. Top with dollop of whipped feta and 4 or 5 cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with mint.

Disclaimer: I was given a sample of Dominex product to try for this post, and as always, tasting opinions are my own.