Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Eggplant with Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette


Fast, healthy, and completely vegan, this recipe for Eggplant with Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette makes going vegetarian a few nights a week easy AND delicious! 
(Adapted from the AdvoCare recipe passed on by my coaches, Jeff & Linde)

Eggplant:
1 large eggplant
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 tsp sea salt

With a knife or vegetable peeler, "stripe" the eggplant lengthwise. Cut into 1/2 inch slices. Place on a cutting board or cookie sheet. Sprinkle sea salt on both sides and let sit for about 5 minutes. This helps to "weep" out the extra moisture in the eggplant, ensuring a nice grill or sear, however you choose to cook it.


Eggplant striped, sliced, and salted.

After about 5 minutes, blot off the extra moisture (both sides) with either a paper towel or clean cloth napkin or dish towel. Doing this, you will have removed most of the salt, so brush with the EVOO on both sides, and season with just a touch more sea salt, and a bit of cracked black pepper.


You can either place on a grill, use a grill pan, or pop your eggplant under the broiler. We chose to use the broiler tonight. Cook eggplant for about 5-6 minute per side. Eggplant should be tender, but not mushy, and have some good golden color on it.

Golden delicious, right out from under the broiler.

Fresh produce from the local Farmer's Market becomes a quick salad as the base for our eggplant, and a delicious vinaigrette to dress it all.

Vinaigrette:
1 red bell pepper1 small plum or Roma tomato
1 clove of garlic
a bit of red onion
1/4 C EVOO
1-2 Tbsp vinegar (I usually use white wine vinegar for this)
sea salt
cracked black pepper
1 tsp hot Hungarian paprika

While the eggplant is "weeping", slice your pepper into thick slices, removing ribs and seeds. Brush or toss with the teeniest bit of EVOO. Pop under the broiler for about 5 minutes, flipping once. 

Quick roasted red bell pepper.

Cut up the pepper into chunks and toss into a food processor along with all other vinaigrette ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Add all your ingredients into a small food processor.
Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning, if necessary.
At this point, put your eggplant under the broiler or onto the grill.

Make a salad. Any kind of mixed greens will do, especially a peppery arugula for this recipe. Unfortunately, all we had on hand was some dark green Romaine lettuce, so we bulked our salad out with radishes, carrots, green onions, and raw zucchini.

A bed of greens serves as the perfect "base" for the eggplant, especially a peppery arugula or mixed spring mix.
Once the eggplant comes out, place on top of your bed of greens, and top it all with the Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette. A complete meal, in one bowl, and done in 30 minutes or less!




4 comments:

  1. That looks amazing! Can't wait to try it! :-)

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    1. It is sooooo yummy, even if eggplant or red bell peppers aren't your thing! Be sure to to let me know how you like it!

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  2. Hungarian Paprika is a seasoning I have been using for years! It adds a smoky flavor and a beautiful color to dishes. You can find it in the spice aisle of most grocery stores for around $3. I am pretty sure I picked mine up at my local Safeway.

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  3. This is beautiful and looks delicious! Thanks!

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