1 red pepper
1/2medium sized eggplant
2 egg whites
1/2cup breadcrumbs
1/4cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (maybe more)
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1/4cup thinly sliced skim milk mozzerella
1/4Vidalia onion, sliced thinly
4 slices fresh sourdough or light rye bread, about 1/2” thick
spicy (or regular extra virgin) olive oil
Roast the whole red pepper on the barbeque or on top of the open flame of your gas stove until charred. When roasted, place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside.
Mix breadcrumbs and parmesan in a shallow, wide bowl; add salt and pepper to personal taste. Slice eggplant vertically into 1/4”-thick pieces. Dip each into egg whites then into breadcrumb and parmesan mix.
Preheat non-stick frying pan and add vegetable oil. Fry coated eggplant slices in batches, adding more oil if necessary. When eggplant is done, remove plastic wrap from bowl with pepper and peel outer, charred skin & remove stem and seeds. Slice pepper into 1” pieces and set aside (you will probably only use 1/2 of the pepper in the sandwiches but you can keep the remainder in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a week).
Bring about 2” water in small sauce pan to the boil and add spinach. Cook for about 2 minutes then remove from heat, rinse under cold water, drain and set aside.
Place 1/4 of mozzerella on one slice of bread. Pile 1/2 of the eggplant, 1/4 of the pepper, 1/2 of the Vidalia onion and 1/2 of the spinach on top. Add salt and pepper to personal taste and top with more cheese and another piece of bread. Brush each side of sandwich with spicy olive oil and place on pre-heated panini grill, barbeque or other indoor grill. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Brushing the bread with olive oil gives you that crispy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside texture to the bread that is truly irresistable