Real Food Challenge-Roasted Vegetable Napoleon

I have been very challenged trying to eat Real Food for the Challenge, while eating no gluten, and doing an elimination diet to figure out my food problems.  And I have done my fair share of complaining.  But I really shouldn't.  Because I can eat two very versatile foods that I happen to love.  Eggs, which I mostly get from my 3 ladies, and cheese, which is up there as one of my favorites.  So I made a Triple Cheese omelet.  Two of my girls dark golden yolked eggs, scrambled, in the middle, a little mozzarella and cheddar cheese, and topped with a touch of Parmesan.

For dinner, I have had a hankering for a steak.  Well, it is way too soon to try that food out.  But last night I was watching a cooking show called Naturally Delicious on the Veria channel.  They had a dish called Roasted Vegetable Napoleon.  I did not follow their recipe because frankly, there was a couple of unusual ingredients like pomegranate molasses.  They say to get it at a Middle eastern Indian store.  None of those in Silverton.  They also had a couple ingredients with wheat in it.  No go for this no gluten girl.  So I did not follow their recipe but used their method.  Because it has portabella mushroom in it, I knew it might help with my steak craving.  So this is what I did.

You slice up a couple red onions and slow cook them in a skillet with a little evoo, pepper, and a touch of agave nectar.  I did use the agave nectar but am thinking next time I will omit it because the onions are sweet enough on their own.  Cook them slow until they become sweet and jam like.  In fact they call this Onion Marmalade.

While those are cooking down, slice egg plant in large circles and take stems off mushrooms.  Brush a mixture of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, a touch of rosemary and thyme on the egg plant and mushrooms and roast them at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes.

  Grate a little mozzarella cheese. Slice a large tomato in circles.  Then assemble the Napoleons in this order.  Egg plant, onion marm., tomato, cheese, mushroom, onion marm., egg plant, onion marm., tomato, cheese, and top it off with mushroom.  Put back in oven for about 20 minutes.  While roasting, simmer about 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar down to about half so it is a thick syrup.  Add 1/4 cup red wine, whisk and simmer for 5 minutes.  Put napoleon on plate and drizzle balsamic sauce.

I would give this recipe a grade B.  It would be an A if I was grading on taste, but it was a bit labor intensive which is fine for a treat but not a go to recipe.