CookThatBook

Eggplant Parmesan Rolls with Swiss Chard & Fresh Mint

RATING: 4.5 out of 5

Initial Thoughts:

Hmmm…interesting.
The girls are going to hate this dish.
Mr. Spock is going to hate this dish.
Hmmmm…interesting.

The Test:
Now you may have noticed that I have been a tad lagging behind with the cover recipes. In fact, I avoided collecting my mail for several weeks because I didn’t want to be faced with April’s issue while I had still not completed February or March. But I’m playing a pretty good game of catch up, and am proud to say that with this cover recipe I am only behind by one!

I made this dish on a Meatless Monday, and I have to be honest and say that my expectations were low. Very low. First of all: eggplant? We’re not averse, but a whole dish based on this ingredient was cause for concern. And as if that weren’t enough to make me procrastinate, it was a light recipe. Yay. In my mind this was going to be an overpoweringly eggplant flavoured dish with no taste. Awesome. But nonetheless I sighed (heavily), rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

The recipe itself is not difficult, but it definitely takes some time to drain the eggplant for an hour before broiling and stuffing each slice. The good thing was that I made this dish ahead of time while the kids were out in the backyard (thank goodness for sunshine!) and then simply popped it in the oven for an hour and voila.

The Results:
Contrary to my low expectations, this dish turned out GREAT! It was so tasty that both Mr. Spock and I agreed we’d make it again. The flavours were all there, and I loved how the eggplant ended up almost as a type of pasta substitute (great for people with gluten sensitivities). Even the mint was a nice touch, although next time I would try replacing it with basil instead. We will definitely be making this recipe again – it’s a keeper!

For a copy of March’s cover recipe, please click here

As part of my culinary new years resolutions, I have committed to creating each month’s cover recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine. Inspired by a New York restaurant owner who has been making the magazine’s cover recipes each month for the last 25 years, I decided to attempt to do the same while blogging about my monthly experiences along the way.

NOTE: If any of you would like to follow along with me and join in on the fun, I’d love to compare notes! So pick-up a copy of the latest issue of Bon Appétit and get cooking. Be sure to send your comments and photos to info@cookthatbook.com.

Bon Appétit celebrates the world of great food and the pleasure of sharing it with others. Every issue invites readers into a hands-on experience, engaging them in all aspects of the epicurean lifestyle—cooking, dining, travel, entertaining, shopping and design. For more information please visit www.bonappetit.com