Eggplant Mini PIzzas

Eggplant Mini Pizzas
(serves 1)
1 small eggplant
½ t olive or canola oil (or a few spritzes of cooking spray)
salt and pepper, to taste
2 T tomato paste
1 oz goat cheese
dried basil, to taste
dried oregano, to taste
dried chili flakes, to taste
fresh basil, to garnish (I took a few leaves from my anemic windowsill plant)

1) Slice eggplant into thin rounds, about ½ inch.

2) Salt eggplant and let sit in a colander 20-30 minutes. (This step leeches out the bitterness.)

3) Mix tomato paste and seasonings in a small bowl or mug.

4) Rinse eggplant and pat dry with paper towels.

5) oss eggplant with oil, salt, and pepper. (You can also spray your baking sheet with Pam, which I sadly don’t have on hand.)

6) Set oven or toaster oven to broil.

7) Arrange eggplant slices on baking sheet (covered with aluminum foil, if you like.)

8) Cook eggplant until lightly browned.

9) Flip the eggplant, and top each with some tomato paste mixture and goat cheese.

10) Cook eggplant pizzas until goat cheese is melty and ever-so-slightly browned.

11) Top with chiffonaded fresh basil, if you have.

12) Feel a little richer than you are.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
155 cal, 10.9g fat, $1.06

Calculations
1 small eggplant: 20 calories; 0.2g fat; $0.25
½ t oil: 20 calories; 2.2g fat; $0.05
salt and pepper, to taste: negligible calories and fat; $.02
2 T tomato paste: 12 calories; negligible fat; $0.09
1 oz goat cheese: 103 calories, 8.5g fat; $0.60
dried basil, to taste: negligible calories and fat; $0.02
dried oregano, to taste: negligible calories and fat; $0.02
dried chili flakes, to taste: negligible calories and fat; $0.01
fresh basil: negligible calories and fat; free! (I took a few leaves from my anemic windowsill plant)
TOTAL: 155 calories, 10.9g fat, $1.06