Eggplant Rolls with Goat Cheese, Roasted Pepper and Walnuts

There have been too many recipes on my mind lately that I almost forgot I promised you this wouldn’t be the last eggplant recipe I post this summer.

Luckily some beautiful eggplants in the market reminded me, and I sprang right into the action for fear that I would forget again. Eggplants lend themselves well to the stuffing so I decided to stuff them once more.

But this recipe is quite different; the eggplants are sliced, grilled and filled with a creamy mixture of goat cheese, roasted red bell peppers and walnuts.

It also happens to taste more summery or perhaps simply more appetizer like, but it can be made more substantial if served with fresh crusty bread.

EGGPLANT ROLLS RECIPE

Yield: 10 To 12 Rolls

Prep Time: 30 MIN

Cook Time: 10 MIN

You can use roasted red bell pepper from a jar or do the roasting yourself. If you do it at home, check this recipe for how to roast bell peppers.

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• Olive oil for brushing
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 5 ounces soft goat cheese, at room temp.
• 1 small garlic clove, pressed
• 1 roasted red bell pepper, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• Minced basil and finely chopped walnuts, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Step 1: Cut off both ends of the eggplant and slice it thinly lengthwise. You should be able to obtain 10 to 12 slices, about 1/8-inch thick.

Step 2: Brush the eggplant slices generously with olive oil on both sides. (Don’t skimp on oil or they won’t cook through.) Season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Step 3: Heat a griddle pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Grill the eggplant slices until charred, 3 to 5 minutes per side. (I used a Panini press. It did the job nicely and cooked both sides at the same time.) Set aside to cool a bit.

Step 4: Combine the goat cheese, garlic, roasted pepper and walnuts in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if you wish, and mix with a spoon.

Step 5: To fill the eggplant slices, place about a tablespoon of the goat cheese mixture on the wider end of the eggplant and roll.

Step 6: Garnish with minced basil and finely chopped walnuts, if you wish. Serve at room temperature with crusty bread.

source https://www.dinnersanddreams.net/eggplant-rolls-with-goat-cheese-roasted-pepper-and-walnuts/