Grilled Eggplant and Heirloom Tomato Salad Recipe

This post was created in collaboration with JCPenney. All opinions are 100% my own. This post contains affiliate links; when you make a purchase, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you – this helps us keep bringing you awesome free recipes like this one!

On Mother's Day, my Mom always asked for a clean house. It wasn't until I became a mom that I understood how important and meaningful that gift was! While that's a thoughtful gift, I knew there had to be more to what's important to us as Moms. This Mother's Day, I thought about the things Moms really value; healthy meals, deals and good values, and spending time with family. That's why I headed to JCPenney to get a few gifts for the kitchen that can be used right away to prepare a light vegetarian lunch Mom is sure to enjoy on her special day.

Like most moms, I love a good deal. And a great deal is even better! In search of Mother's Day gifts, I checked out the JCPenney flyer in my mailbox this past weekend and spotted some awesome cookware deals for Mother's Day. Keep reading to enter to win a $25 JCPenney Gift Card!

JCPenney always has great deals all across the entire store; I know there's always something useful and unique for our home or family to wear that we can pick up at a great price. In the flyer I saw a Cooks Pre Seasoned Cast Iron Reversible Grill/Griddle for just $19.99!

This cast iron griddle is perfect for those nights when you want to grill but you don't want to deal with charcoal and going outside. And being made of rugged cast iron, I knew my mom was going to love the practicality and value of this pan! My husband and I popped on over to our local JCPenney and they had a whole shelf of cast iron pans and cookware for under $20 a piece.

The Cooks Pre Seasoned Cast Iron Reversible Grill/Griddle I picked up has raised edges on one side for making grill marks and is smooth on the other side for making pancakes or bacon. It would be perfect for camping but I decided to use it to make grilled vegetables.

We picked up some other cookware, including a really cute Zak Designs® GardenSeries 22-oz. Daffodil Colander & Bowl (I got a green one but this one I found online is even CUTER!), the Oceanstar 3-pc. Bamboo Cutting Board Set, and a few pretty Pfaltzgraff bowls in two sizes along with a few matching mugs.

All of these items will be gifts for Mom; we'll wrap them up pretty and then go to Mom's house with a basket full of the ingredients for this lunch. All Mom has to do is sit back and relax while we take care of the cooking and cleaning.

You don't have to be local to JCPenney to get deals like these; the prices are #SoWorthIt in store and online. Shop the broad assortment of gifts available online and in-store to find that perfect gift for mom!

My mom is a fan of heirloom tomatoes so I decided to make a lunch centered around this favorite food.  Grilled eggplant has a smoky sweet flavor that would go well with the tomatoes. But I also wanted a little protein so I made a mini caprese salad with mozzarella pearls and grape tomatoes. Growing up, we always grew grape and pear tomatoes in our garden so this was a little bit of an homage to those memories of gardening alongside my Mom. When making your meal for Mom, think about how memories you had growing up could translate into a part of the meal!

Grilled Eggplant and Heirloom Tomato Salad Recipe

This Grilled Eggplant recipe is really easy to prepare and will make the whole house smell amazing. Plus, it's a great way to season your new grill pan from JCPenney.

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• 6 ripe heirloom tomatoes
• 1 TBSP dried oregano leaves
• 2 TBSP kosher sea salt
• 1/4 olive oil
• fresh basil to garnish

Directions:

Wash and slice the eggplant. If you're gifting a set of bamboo cutting boards to Mom, use those!

Soak the eggplant slices in cold water for about 15 minutes to remove the bitterness.

Slice the heirloom tomatoes while the eggplant is soaking.

Lay out several layers of paper towels or dish towels on the counter. Rise the eggplant slices. Spread the eggplant slices and tomato slices on the towels to dry. Place another towel on top to soak up extra moisture.

Sprinkle the eggplant and tomatoes with sea salt to taste and to further draw more moisture out of the vegetables.

Sprinkle with dried oregano.

Lay the grill pan over two burners on the stove and set heat to medium.

Drizzle olive oil on the pan and spread with a cloth to season the pan.

Lay the eggplant slices on the grill pan, drizzling them with olive oil to prevent sticking.

Cook each eggplant slice on each side for about 2 minutes or until the eggplant starts to look translucent.

Remove from heat and serve with the tomato slices and fresh basil.

CLICK HERE to get a printable version of this Grilled Eggplant and Heirloom Tomato Salad Recipe.

Mini Caprese Salad with Mozzarella Pearls

This miniature take on the classic caprese salad is easy to eat and looks great in these Pfaltzgraff bowls I picked up at JCPenney.

Since all of the ingredients are “small”, this salad travels well in a packed lunch or is a great afternoon snack. Paired with the Grilled Eggplant and Heirloom Tomato Salad Recipe from above, it makes a light, vegetarian lunch every mom will love!

Ingredients:

• 12 oz pack of grape tomatoes
• 10 fresh basil leaves
• 8 oz. pack of mozzarella pearls
• 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
• fresh basil leaves to garnish

Directions:

Halve the grape tomatoes.

Tear the basil leaves into smaller pieces.

Rinse the mozzarella pearls in cold water. Use a small collander, like this cute Zak Designs® GardenSeries 22-oz. Daffodil Colander I picked up at JCPenney.

Toss sliced tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella pearls.

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Serve garnish with a basil leaf

CLICK HERE to to get a printable version of this Grape Tomato Caprese Salad Recipe.

What are you planning for Mother's Day?

Be sure to stop in at JCPenney for Mother's Day gift ideas that are #SoWorthIt this year; make her a meal she'll enjoy with cookware she'll cherish and use for years to come.