Healthy Recipes: Grilled Pizza with Eggplant, Tomatoes & Feta

For this Greek-style pizza, eggplant slices are grilled, chopped and tossed with fresh tomatoes, feta and mint; the mixture is spread on the pizza to finish cooking.

Yield: 4 servings, one 6-inch pizza each

Total Time: 45 minutes

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Recipe Ingredients:

1. 1 pound Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough (recipe follows) or other prepared dough
2. 1 large eggplant (about 1 1/4 pounds), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
3. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4. Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
5. 2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
6. 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 2 ounces)
7. 4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, divided

Recipe Steps:

1. Prepare Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough, if using. To cook pizzas on a charcoal grill, build a medium-hot fire in one half of the grill (two bricks placed end-to-end work well as a divider). For a gas grill with two burners, preheat one burner on high, leaving the other unlit. For a single-burner gas grill, preheat on high, and lower the flame to cook the second side of the pizzas.
2. Toss eggplant slices with 1 tablespoon oil in a large bowl. Sprinkle the slices with salt and pepper and grill, turning often, until tender, about 8 minutes. Let cool; chop coarsely.
3. Combine the chopped eggplant with tomatoes, feta cheese, 2 tablespoons mint and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Roll out the pizza dough into 4 circles and place on a floured cutting board. Bring the dough, toppings and a pair of tongs to grillside.
5. Place 2 of the dough circles on the hot side of the grill. Within 1 minute the dough will puff slightly, and the underside will firm up and be striped with grill marks. Use tongs to flip the crusts over and onto the cooler side of the grill.
6. Distribute half of the eggplant mixture on the crusts after turning. Cover the grill and cook, rotating the pizzas once or twice, until the toppings are heated through, about 5 minutes.
7. Remove the pizzas from the grill. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 with the remaining dough and toppings. Just before serving, scatter the remaining 2 tablespoons mint over the pizzas.

Recipe Nutrition:

Per serving: 409 calories; 17 g fat (4 g saturated fat, 8 g mono unsaturated fat); 11 mg cholesterol; 89 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein; 14 g fiber; 1178 mg sodium; 858 mg potassium

© 2009 EatingWellInc.com   Photo: Ken Burris