Grilled eggplant with red pepper-walnut sauce

When it comes to sandwiches, think beyond the deli counter. This sophisticated eggplant and red-pepper sauce is a  delicious combination and pairs beautifully with low-glycemic-load sourdough bread and makes a special picnic sandwich.

If you toast the bread and serve it right away, the sandwich makes a refreshing hot-weather supper.

For panini (Italian-style grilled sandwiches), spritz the outside of the bread with non-stick spray and grill the sandwiches in a panini grill or contact grill.

Preparation time 30 minutes

Grilling time 8 to 12 minutes

Serves 4

Gather these ingredients

175 ml (3/4 c) Red Pepper-Walnut Sauce

2 medium-large baby eggplants, cut crosswise into 1-cm-thick (3/8-in-thick) slices

1 ml (1/4 tsp) salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

8 small slices sourdough bread, toasted

If desired125 g (4 oz) creamy goat cheese, cut into 1-cm-thick (3/8-in-thick) slices

60 g (3/4 c) arugula leaves, washed and dried

Getting started:

1. Make the Red Pepper-Walnut Sauce.
2. Preheat the grill or broiler.
3. Spritz both sides of the eggplant slices with the cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Lightly oil the grill or broiler rack by rubbing it with a piece of oil-soaked paper towel (use tongs to hold the paper towel when working over a hot grill).
4. Grill or broil the eggplant until very tender and browned, four to six minutes per side.
5. Spread about 25 millilitres (1 1/2 tablespoons) of the Red Pepper-Walnut sauce over one side of each bread slice.
6. Layer the eggplant slices and goat cheese slices on four slices of bread. Top with the arugula.
7. Set the remaining bread slices on the sandwiches. Cut the sandwiches in half. One serving is two sandwich halves. The sandwiches will keep, wrapped in plastic wrap or foil, in the refrigerator or a cooler packed with ice packs for up to two days.

Per serving: 349 calories, 14 g protein, 44 g carbohydrates, 6 g fibre, 13 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 13 mg cholesterol, 910 mg sodium.

Cook's tip: Place a fine-meshed vegetable grill rack over the grill grate to prevent the eggplant slices from falling through.

Preparation time 10 minutes

Serves 4

In addition to perking up sandwich fillings, this intensely flavoured sauce also makes an excellent appetizer spread to serve with whole-grain crackers or toasted whole wheat pita crisps.

• 25 g (1/4 c) walnuts
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) fine dry unseasoned bread crumbs
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 5 ml (1 tsp) ground cumin
• 0.5 ml (1/8 tsp) crushed red pepper
• 0.5 ml (1/8 tsp) salt, or to taste
• 1 jar (200 ml/7 oz) roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice

Instructions

1. Combine the walnuts, bread crumbs, garlic, cumin, crushed red pepper and salt in a food processor; process until the walnuts are ground.

2. Add the roasted red peppers and lemon juice; process until smooth.

One serving is 45 millilitres (three tablespoons).

The spread will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to four days. Makes 175 millilitres (3/4 cup).

Per serving: 76 calories, 2 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 1 g fibre, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 268 mg sodium.

Enjoy this quick and easy dish for lunch or dinner, any day of the week.

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