Roasted eggplant is delicious any which way you slice it. It is great for vegetarians since it has a meaty texture, and the roasting caramelizes the outside - bringing out the flavor and keeping the inside tender. I often cut an eggplant into small bites and roast it in a very hot oven with whatever vegetables I have on hand - zucchini, onion, tomatoes, etc. and serve it over pasta with some chopped mint - simple, summer, yum! It is equally good roasted whole, then peeled and the pulp whirled into a food processor with some garlic and other spices and made into baba ghanoush.
This time I thought - how can I incorporate roasted eggplant into a salad? I had picked up a couple of gorgeous Sicilian eggplants at Whole Foods. Sometimes referred to as "Zebra" or "Graffiti" eggplant, this variety is slightly smaller than the classic "black beauty" - with a wider base and purple skin streaked with white. I chopped them up along with part of a large sweet onion and some garlic. I put this mixture in a large roasting pan lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Over top I drizzled a little olive oil and snipped a sprig of fresh rosemary and some oregano. Then I sprinkled a little smoked paprika and some seasoning salt and popped it in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. At this point I then added a large chopped tomato and about half a package of thawed green garbanzo beans (another Whole Foods find - check the frozen vegetables section - these are fantastic!) I mixed it all together and then roasted for about another 15 minutes. To make the salad, I lined a salad bowl with some chopped romaine lettuce, then put the roasted vegs on top and added a peeled, sectioned clementine and some crumbled goat cheese. Then I drizzled a little citrusy yogurt dressing - plain yogurt, a little lemon juice and some honey over it all. It was great last night and even better today for lunch after the flavors got a chance to really blend!
This time I thought - how can I incorporate roasted eggplant into a salad? I had picked up a couple of gorgeous Sicilian eggplants at Whole Foods. Sometimes referred to as "Zebra" or "Graffiti" eggplant, this variety is slightly smaller than the classic "black beauty" - with a wider base and purple skin streaked with white. I chopped them up along with part of a large sweet onion and some garlic. I put this mixture in a large roasting pan lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Over top I drizzled a little olive oil and snipped a sprig of fresh rosemary and some oregano. Then I sprinkled a little smoked paprika and some seasoning salt and popped it in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. At this point I then added a large chopped tomato and about half a package of thawed green garbanzo beans (another Whole Foods find - check the frozen vegetables section - these are fantastic!) I mixed it all together and then roasted for about another 15 minutes. To make the salad, I lined a salad bowl with some chopped romaine lettuce, then put the roasted vegs on top and added a peeled, sectioned clementine and some crumbled goat cheese. Then I drizzled a little citrusy yogurt dressing - plain yogurt, a little lemon juice and some honey over it all. It was great last night and even better today for lunch after the flavors got a chance to really blend!
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