Eggplant Bruschetta

This bruschetta makes a great appetizer or is a nice healthy accompaniment to a meal. It is at least one serving of vegetables and is high in fiber yet is super low in calories, fat and sodium.

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, cut vertically into ¼ inch slices (about 8 rounds)
1 ½ cups chopped tomato
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon crushed garlic or ½-1 clove chopped
(optional garnishes: a few sprinkles of pine nuts, goat cheese or parmesan cheese, as well as salt to taste, *use a gluten-free cheese brand such as Trader Joe's if you are on a gluten-free diet)

Directions

Grill the eggplant either on the barbeque or on a nonstick pan on high heat, warming the sliced rounds about 5-7 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, mix the chopped tomato, basil, olive oil and garlic in a small bowl. Once the eggplant is done, let cool for 5-10 minutes, pat dry any moisture and top with the tomato mixture, dividing it between the 8 grilled slices. Eat immediately at room temperature or place in the refrigerator to serve chilled.

Variations:

To decrease the fat, skip the oil and substitute 1 tablespoon of balsamic or rice vinegar

If eggplant is not your thing, you can use grilled zucchini or yellow squash sliced lengthwise instead.

Makes eight servings

Serving size: 1 round Calories 35 Protein 1 g Carb 5 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 2 g Fat 1.5 g saturated fat 0 g Sodium 0 mg

With vinegar instead of oil:
Serving size: 1 round Calories 25 Protein 1 g Carb 6 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 3 g Fat 0 g saturated fat 0 g Sodium 0 mg