Side Dish with a Crunch
I won’t take credit for developing this dish. I got inspired by a meal kit, and now it is my go-to. It is simple but visually appealing and delicious, an impressive side dish for entertaining, which complements well any meat, fish, or by itself it is a lovely vegetarian dinner. Here are the steps:
If you use a glass or pyrex dish, the colours will be more impressive. I like a round dish, as you can arrange the vegetables in a nice circle. Grease the dish (butter or olive oil) and preheat the oven to 450F.
Cut one zucchini, two tomatoes and an eggplant into thin slices. Arrange them, alternating and overlapping (see the photo), in the dish, sprinkle some oil on top.
Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, until the veggies are soft. Then broil for a few minutes to get caramelization.
Take out of the oven and sprinkle over your favourite dressing (I use orange-flavoured olive oil and white balsamic vinegar, with salt and pepper).
While it s baking, in a small pan heat well 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add a tablespoon of bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons of sliced almonds. When the crumbs are browned and crunchy, put the mixture in a bowl until the dish is baked.
Before serving, sprinkle the crunch over the vegetables. Enjoy!
