Fan-style baked eggplant

Name: Fan-style baked eggplant
Ingredients: 2 medium eggplants (450 g each); 2 medium tomatoes (150 g each); 150 g Delaco semi-hard cheese; 4 garlic cloves; 12 slices bacon; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper; 5 g fresh basil; 1 tablespoon olive oil

Diverse - Fan-style baked eggplant by stefania J. - Recipia

Fan-style baked eggplant goes in the oven with bacon, tomatoes and cheese tucked between the slices. Garlic and basil go between the slices too; after 40 minutes, the flesh softens, the cheese melts and the tips turn lightly golden. Serve warm. I choose firm eggplants that are similar in size; I bake them while I get the meal ready. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 40 minutes. Total time: 60 minutes. Servings: 4. Approximately 440 kcal and 18 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants (450 g each)
2 medium tomatoes (150 g each)
150 g Delaco semi-hard cheese
4 garlic cloves
12 slices bacon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
5 g fresh basil
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation

1. Wash the tomatoes and eggplants, then dry them well. Slice the tomatoes into rounds and the cheese into slices. Make lengthwise cuts in the eggplants, 1 cm apart, without cutting all the way through at one end. Finely chop or crush the garlic. 2. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper and the chopped basil between the slices of each eggplant. 3. Spread the garlic over the slices, then tuck bacon, tomatoes and cheese between them. 4. Put the eggplants in an ovenproof dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for 40 minutes, until the flesh is soft and the cheese is lightly browned. Serve warm.

Notes

I served them with tzatziki, which goes well with warm eggplant. Bacon and cheese are salty, so measure the salt carefully; the cheese contains milk. Choose firm eggplants with smooth skin that are similar in size, so they soften at about the same time. If the tomatoes are very juicy, leave the slices on the cutting board for a minute and wipe off the juice before tucking them into the cuts. Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat only the portion you’re going to eat.