Roasted Vegetable Stacks

Note from Cheri: If you're looking for a vegetarian entree that's guaranteed to impress, look no further. Roasted marinated vegetables are stacked with cheese and baked for an unforgettable meal. This is one recipe that looks as good as it tastes! You can also grill the vegetables instead of roasting them. I've made this recipe with great success on camping trips, by grilling the vegetables, then placing the stacks on a small baking pan and returning to the covered grill until the cheese melts.

Marinade 1 T garlic, chopped or pressed 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 1/3 cup olive oil 1 T basil The Stacks 2 large Portabella Mushrooms 4 slices eggplant, 1/3 inch each 1 yellow squash, cut into 1/3 inch slices 2 slices red onion, 1/3 inch each 4 thick slices of tomato (preferably Beefsteak Tomato) 4 slices of cheese (either swiss, muenster or mozzarella or any combo thereof) 2 T grated parmesan cheese 2 stalks fresh rosemary

Serves 2 (Multiply as needed, great for crowds!) Combine all marinade ingredients. Chop vegetables. In a large bowl, pour marinade over all vegetables except mushrooms and tomatoes. Let site for about 1/2 hour. Pour marinade on mushrooms only five minutes before roasting, otherwise they will absorb too much. The tomatoes don't need to be marinaded, it will only make them fall apart. Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush a baking sheet with oil. Remove vegetables from marinade and arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 10-15 minutes or until browned and tender. Note: tomatoes need to roast for only 3-5 minutes. Keep a close watch on them or they will completely fall apart when you try to remove them from the baking sheet. You can alternatively grill the vegetables. You can prepare up to this point up to two days ahead of time. Store the vegtables in single layers between sheets of plastic wrap in the refrigerator. When you're ready to bake the stacks, proceed as follows. OIl a baking sheet and place portabella mushrooms on the sheet. Sprinkle parmesan over the portabellas. Top with one slice of eggplant, one slice of tomato, a slice of cheese, onion slice, squash, more cheese squash etc. finishing with the second slce of eggplant. Insert a metal or wooden skewer through the center of each stack from top to bottom. Take a stalk of rosemary and trim off the bottom leaves. Insert rosemary stalk next to skewer and bake stacks for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and vegetables are heated through. Carefully transfer stacks to serving plate and carefully pull out skewers. Serving Suggestion I like to serve these stacks on a bed of angel hair pasta with pesto sauce.