Eggplant Pizza Boats with Sausage, Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms

I was on my way home from work, contemplating what I should make for dinner for my husband and I tonight, and for some reason, all I could think about was pizza. Pizza...pizza...pizza... Man, I sure do love pizza. However, I wanted to make something that was quick and easy, and something that was a bit healthier than regular pizza. There's no need for a carb overload right before bedtime. Plus, the thought of having to make my own pizza dough from scratch, and all that goes along with doing that made me not like the idea as much anymore...so, I thought to myself, Nah, I think I'll pass on regular pizza tonight. 

So, then I began thinking about all the vegetables that I love on pizza normally...like sausage, peppers, onions, and mushrooms! You have got to have mushrooms! Well, that is, unless you are my brother. My brother really dislikes those little fungi. I do have to give him credit though. He does, every so often, try one just to see if maybe, just maybe, his taste for them has changed. And, so far, the verdict for him is still the same. "Yuk! Yuk! YUK!" 
So, if you are anything like my brother when it comes to mushrooms, just ditch them, and add a different vegetable of your choice that you really like on pizza instead. Maybe olives, garlic, broccoli, etc.

Now came the point of my pizza-like journey where I had to figure out what I should use as the vehicle for these delicious pizza toppings? Then, I thought about a fairly recent dinner I had at my parents house. They had ordered (normal) pizza for themselves, and on the one that everyone liked the most had eggplant on it. So, I decided to give it a whirl and use eggplant to house all of my delicious pizza toppings! And, guess what? It worked out beautifully. Before I decided on the eggplant, I thought about using squash. I'm betting that it would work out well too, but the eggplant just seemed to be a little bit more of an appropriate Italian choice, don't you think?

After I decided on the eggplant, I then roasted it in the oven while sauteing all the vegetables and cooking the sausage. Then, after everything was done only a short time later, I assembled them, and put them back in the oven just until the cheese was all melted and bubbly. And there you have it, Eggplant Pizza Boats! Sounds good, doesn't it?

These pizza boats were not only super healthy and the perfect quick and easy dinner, but they were also delicious and packed with flavor. If that's what you are looking for, I strongly suggest giving these a try. My husband couldn't stop saying how good they were. So, as I've told you before, when he says something is good over and over, you know it is.

This recipe is written for two servings, so if you are making them for a family, just increase your measurements accordingly. Feel free to try your families favorite toppings in place of mine. I'm sure whatever floats your boat will work! (Get it? Floats your boat...yeah, yeah, I know, but I couldn't help myself with that one.)

I hope you enjoy these delicious boats of goodness as much as we did! Let me know what you think by using the comment area below!

Eggplant Pizza Boats with Sausage, Peppers, 
Onions, and Mushrooms
Ingredients:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Cooking Spray
1 large eggplant, cut in half
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
5 oz. baby bella mushrooms, quartered
3 links Premio Hot & Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage, casings removed
1 cup of your favorite jarred gluten-free tomato sauce, or homemade
1/2 cup shredded Part-Skim Mozzarella cheese, divided
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated or in the can
2 teaspoons dried Italian Seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°. 

Take eggplant halves and place them on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with cooking spray, flesh side up. Sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper to the tops of each eggplant half, then drizzle each one with a little EVOO. Roast eggplant for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Turn oven down to 350° and keep on for the last step of the recipe.

Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan sprayed lightly with cooking spray, saute vegetables for about 5-8 minutes, or until soft. Remove from pan and put in a medium sized mixing bowl.

In the same frying pan that you just sauteed your vegetables in, cook the sausage thoroughly until no longer pink. Remove from pan and mix into the bowl with your sauteed vegetables.

Premio Chicken Sausage is a great Gluten-Free Choice!

Now that your eggplant has cooled off a bit, take a knife and score the eggplant where you want to scoop it out, leaving about 1/4" from the sides to make sure you have "walls" to support the toppings that will go in your boat. 

Scoop out the middle flesh of the eggplant with a spoon, and put the it onto your cutting board. Chop the eggplant coarsely that you just scooped out up, and add it to your sauteed vegetables and sausage mixture. 
Add tomato sauce (unheated), and mix everything together well.

Scoop the vegetable and sausage mixture evenly into your two eggplant boats. Pile it up high, and top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and your italian seasonings. 

Put back in the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Serves: 2
This dish is gluten-free and nut-free. This can easily be made vegan/vegetarian by replacing the sausage with your favorite protein replacement, or adding additional vegetable toppings.

Colorful, Crunchy Vegetable Salad

Once I had to gluten-free, salads were my lifeline. I always knew that vegetables were pretty safe, so if I went out to eat, that's usually what I would order, with no dressing, no croutons, no...well, you get the idea. 

After a while, a girl can get kind of bored with the same old salad, time and time again, right? This salad here is a little different, but delicious and super easy to make. I am very fond of crunchy foods, so this is the perfect salad for me. There is no lettuce, just small chopped, colorful, crunchy veggies with a little bit of rice vinegar and olive oil. 

The herb that makes this salad sing for me is the cilantro. If you are not a fan of cilantro, just use your favorite fresh herb, be creative. I'm sure fresh oregano, basil, or parsley would also be delicious!

Colorful, Crunchy Vegetable Salad
Ingredients:
2 large bell peppers (green, or multi-colored), chopped equal-sized squares
1 large radish, chopped in equal-sized cubes
1/3 head of broccoli, florets chopped small
1 baby seedless cucumber, chopped equal-sized cubes
1/4 cup baby carrots (already peeled), sliced about 1/8" thick
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved once, then halved again
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped fine
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and crushed black pepper to taste

Directions:
Chop all vegetables listed through tomatoes about the same size, and combine in a medium sized mixing bowl. 
Add cilantro, vinegar and olive oil. 
Add salt and pepper to taste. 
Stir to combine and serve. 
Enjoy!

This recipe is gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan.