Grilled Eggplant PaniniFor years I've toyed with the idea of going vegetarian-to better both my health and the environment. Right now my refrigerator is full of amazing summer produce, so my fiancé, Andy, and I eat meat-free meals a few days a week. But I've never gone completely meatless, even though I'd like to try. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when EatingWell launched this vegetarian meal plan-28 days of delicious meat-free meals, no planning necessary. It's easy to use: just pick your calorie level and voilà!- breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack planned for nearly a month.
(If a month's worth of easy, delicious meals isn't enough of a reason to try eating vegetarian, here are 6 reasons to eat less meat.)
Below are three of my favorite vegetarian recipes to get you started. Plus, get an additional 20 vegetarian recipes here »
Grilled Eggplant Panini (see recipe below) - Grilled eggplant is one of life's simpler pleasures: creamy and rich. This end-of-summer treat will be even tastier if you can find the vegetables at a local farmstand-or in your own backyard!
Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wrap - White beans mashed with ripe avocado and blended with sharp Cheddar and onion makes an incredibly rich, flavorful filling for this wrap. The tangy, spicy slaw adds crunch. Even better: this no-cook dinner is on the table in 25 minutes!
Vegetarian Reubens with Russian Dressing - The spinach, mushroom and onion filling is so satisfying, you won't even miss the corned beef.
Grilled Eggplant Panini
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 1/2-inch slices eggplant (about 1 small)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
8 slices whole-grain country bread
8 thin slices fresh mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup sliced jarred roasted red peppers
4 thin slices red onion
1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Combine mayonnaise and basil in a small bowl. Using 1 tablespoon oil, lightly brush both sides of eggplant and sprinkle each slice with garlic salt. With the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, brush one side of each slice of bread.
3. Grill the eggplant for 6 minutes, turn with a spatula, top with cheese, and continue grilling until the cheese is melted and the eggplant is tender, about 4 minutes more. Toast the bread on the grill, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
4. To assemble sandwiches: Spread basil mayonnaise on four slices of bread. Top with the cheesy eggplant, red peppers, onion and the remaining slices of bread. Cut in half and serve warm.
Makes 4 sandwiches.
Per serving: 337 calories; 16 g fat (6 g sat, 6 g mono); 22 mg cholesterol; 36 g carbohydrate; 12 g protein; 7 g fiber; 659 mg sodium. Nutrition bonus: Folate (28% daily value), Calcium (25% dv), Selenium (23% dv), Iron (15% dv).
By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.
Brierley's interest in nutrition and food come together in her position as an associate editor at EatingWell. Brierley holds a master's degree in Nutrition Communication from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. A Registered Dietitian, she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont.
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