Grilled Eggplant with Caramelized Onion and Fennel

This yummy dish makes a beautiful appetizer! Grilling season is almost over, so take advantage if you have an outdoor grill. For this recipe, you want to heat your grill (or grill pan over the stove) over medium heat.

Peel a 1 and 1/4 pound eggplant. Slice into 8 slices, crosswise. Coat both sides of the eggplant slices with cooking spray, and sprinkle evenly with 1/8 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. black pepper.

Place the eggplant on the grill rack (or grill pan) coated with cooking spray and grill for 7 minutes on each side. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add 2 and 3/4 cups chopped fennel bulb and 2 cups chopped yellow onion; saute for 8 minutes.

In a bowl, combine 1/8 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. black pepper, 2 cups arugula (trim off any large stems), 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon olive oil; toss gently to combine.

Divide the arugula mixture evenly among 8 small plates. Top each serving with 1 eggplant slice and 1/3 cup of the fennel mixture. Top that with 2 tablespoons quartered cherry tomatoes per serving and 1 tablespoon crumbled vegan feta (such as Sunergia) in place of goat cheese per serving.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons chopped basil and 1 tablespoon chopped thyme evenly over all the servings. Each appetizer is 80 calories.

Cost:
eggplant $1.88
fennel $4.50
yellow onion $0.85
arugula $2.50
cherry tomatoes $2.99
vegan feta $3.69
basil $2.99
thyme $2.49