Grilled Eggplant Salad

As Yummy As It Looks!

I've been eating a lot of eggplant lately. I guess because it looks so fresh. This recipe is another from Giada DiLaurentiis. It is hearty enough to eat as a main dish. Just serve it with some crusty Italian bread.

Grilled Eggplant and Goat Cheese Salad
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
3 tablespoons olive oil
7 Japanese eggplant, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch wide slices, I used two regular eggplants cut into 1/2 to 3/4" thick slices
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled, I used gorgonzola
1/3 cup basil, thinly sliced, I used 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons chopped mint, I omitted this
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the olive oil over the slices of eggplant and toss to coat. Grill the eggplants until tender and grill marks appear, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. I used cooked them for about 5-6 minutes per side. Place the eggplants side-by-side on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the pine nuts, goat cheese, basil, and mint. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Greek Caponata

Yummy Blend of Flavors!

This is another inspiration form a Giada DiLaurauntiis recipe.
I happened to have most of the ingredients on hand and decided to give it a try. I changed the recipe a bit, as usual.

I added in peppers because I had these gorgeous purple peppers that I picked up at a local farm. I had never seen them before and just had to try them! This recipe seemed like the perfect place for them. I also added chic peas to the mix for some added protein!

Greek Caponata
(Adapted from Giada DiLaurentiis recipe)

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juice
2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch rounds
1 summer squash, cut into 1-inch rounds
1 tomato, cut into wedges
1 medium/large eggplant, cut into 1-inch rounds
2 large shallots, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges
1 potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 purple peppers, or whatever color you have
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped fine, or one teaspoon of dried oregano
4 to 6 slices toasted italian bread, optional for main dish (This time I used homemade mini pizza rounds)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour the canned tomatoes into a 3 1/2-quart baking dish and spread to cover the bottom. In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients (excluding the bread). Toss to coat. Pour the vegetables over the canned tomatoes in an even layer. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the edges of the vegetables are golden, about 30 minutes.

Serve alone as a side, or over toasted bread for a main dish. This could also be used as a filling for calzones! Just a little mozzarella cheese and ooh la la!!