Eggplant Roulades

(Makes 16-20)

Ingredients

• 1 10-12 oz. jar or can of roasted red pepper strips (store brands or Cento are good choices!), or 2 small organic red bell peppers if you like to roast your own.
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4-5 small Japanese or 2 medium-sized eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds) sliced 1/4 “ thick
• 2 cups (or 1 can) cooked white or garbanzo beans
• 3 cloves of garlic
• ½ tsp. garlic powder or 2 cloves of crushed garlic
• ½ – 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• 1 small bunch of basil leaves sliced thick

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place eggplant slices side by side on sheets; brush with 2 tbsp olive oil and a light sprinkle of salt. Bake until slices are tender and pliable, about 8–10 min. Set aside to cool.

Cook beans according to package directions, saving liquid in pan. Place cooked beans, 2 tbsp olive oil, and garlic in the bowl of food processor. Purée until smooth. Add any reserved cooking liquid, continuing until the mixture reaches the consistency of mayonnaise. Season with salt to taste.

To assemble roulades, lay one eggplant slice on a clean work surface. Finished rolls should be about 2” wide, so if your eggplant is wider, you can cut it in half.

For each eggplant slide, spread about 1 tsp bean purée, lay one pepper slice and one piece of basil over purée (at bottom edge of narrow end of eggplant), and roll up like a jelly roll. Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients. Stand on end on a serving platter. Drizzle with remaining tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Garnish the platter with basil leaves.

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