Baked Eggplant Gratin

This mouth watering eggplant dish is going to be a huge hit with your family and you will find it to be as healthy as it is delectable.

• 1 large eggplant, about 1 lb
• 10 1/2 ounce mozzarella cheese
• 3 ounce Parmesan cheese
• olive oil
• 1 cup tomato sauce, recipe included
• salt and pepper

Tomato Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• salt and pepper

1. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the onion until transluscent. Add th garlic and fry for 1 more minute. Stir in the diced tomatoes, parsley, oregano, bay leaves, tmato paste, Swerve and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by half. Discard the bay leaves just before use.

Now, on to the dish…

1. Trim the eggplant and then slice it into 1/4 inch slices crosswise. Arrange the slices on a plate, sprinkle with salt, then set aside to drain.
2. Meanwhile, drain and grate the mozzarella cheese and finely grate the Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
3. Rinse the eggplant slices thoroughly under cold running water and pat dry with paper towells. Lightly brush a cookie sheet with olive oil and arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer. Brush the tops with olive oil.
4. Roast in a preheated oven at 400f for 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn the slices over, then brush with a little more olive oil and bake for another 5 minutes or until the eggplant is cookedthrough and tender. Remove the eggplant, but do not turn off the oven.
5. Spread about 1 tbsp olive oil over the bottom of a gratin dish or other oven proof serving dish. Add a layer of eggplant slices, about a quarter of the tomato sauce, and top with a quarter of the mozzarella. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Continue layering until all the ingredients are used, endin with a layer of sauce. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top, then bake for 30 minutes until bubbling. Set aside for 5 minutes before serving.

This recipe serves 4 at 404 calories per serving, 13.5g carbs, 30.4g fat and 20.6g protein