Roasted Eggplant Tart

Roasted Eggplant Tart is my new go-to dish for dinner parties-it’s easy to make a large number of servings, fits almost any dietary restrictions, and most importantly tastes phenomenal.  For this spectacular dish, I use a simple Brown Rice Crust and then stuff it full of delectable balsamic glazed roasted vegetables. After pouring a dairy free custard on top of the vegetables, the tart is baked until slightly puffed and perfectly golden, creating a spectacular presentation, in addition to fantastic flavor. To simplify the prep on the day of serving, you can make the rice for the crust, and roast the vegetables for the filling ahead of time, and then store in separate containers in the refrigerator. That way, on the day of serving, all you have to do is prebake the crust, add in the already cooked filling, and bake. Once the tart is in the oven, you can forget about it and prepare the remaining components of your dinner like dessert and side dishes.  If you do have any leftover pie, it tastes fantastic the next day- simply place in Tupperware and refrigerate.

Roasted Eggplant Tart
Gluten Free
Serves 8
Click Here for Printable Recipe



Ingredients--
Crust:
1  Brown Rice Crust
Roasted Vegetables:
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium eggplant, cubed
8 ounces butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (about 1 cup once diced)
1 pint grape tomatoes (about 1.5 cups)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes (adjust according to desired level of spiciness)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt & Pepper
Custard Filling:
2 eggs
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I use  So Delicious brand)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1-2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Salt & Pepper
Garnish:
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons basil, chopped

1. Prepare rice crust according to  the recipe , then set aside to cool while you prepare the tart filling.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line an extra large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray well with nonstick spray. Add bell pepper, eggplant, squash, and tomatoes to baking sheet. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then season with crushed red pepper flakes, basil, thyme, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir vegetables so that they are evenly coated in oil, vinegar and herbs.



3. Transfer baking sheet to oven and roast vegetables for 20 minutes. Carefully remove vegetables from oven and stir then continue to roast vegetables 18-22 minutes more or until golden around the edges and tomatoes begin to shrivel.



4.  While vegetables are roasting, prepare the custard filling by whisking together all custard ingredients in a small mixing bowl until combined. Set aside.



5. In a separate small dish, combine garnish ingredients, then place garnish in refrigerator until ready to use. Once the vegetables are finished roasting, remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

6. Scoop roasted vegetables into prepared pie crust. Stir gently to try to evenly distribute the different types of vegetables, then pour egg custard on top of vegetables.



7. Bake tart for 50-55 minutes , or until sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let pie cool for 3-5 minutes, then sprinkle with reserved garnish. Cut tart into 8 slices and enjoy!



Nutrition Information--approximately 155 calories per serving


** If you like the brown rice crust in this dish, then you might want to try Summer Vegetable Rice Pie