Eggplant Salad

Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. This salad can be served as a side dish. It can be warm, room temperature or cold; depending on the weather outside and your tastes. It’s an earthy dish with some zip from the vinegar.

Serving Size: Serves up to 4, ¾ cup per person

Ingredients:

  • 5 baby eggplants – There are different varieties. As babies they work in Z2. As they grow they become too fibrous and blow up inside you and stall your weight loss. Or you can use Chinese Eggplant. Those are the long, skinny ones.
  • 1 clove of minced garlic. Jar garlic will work.
  • 2 Tbl of balsamic vinegar, balsamic must or balsamic glaze aka reduced balsamic*
  • 1 tsp of Italian seasoning
  • sea salt and pepper to taste

*For the balsamic vinegar, you have choices here. Balsamic vinegar will be the easiest to get in a local grocery store. Balsamic must is my favorite. This is late harvest balsamic grapes so they are naturally sweeter. You can get Balsamic Must from our friends at Acadamia Barillla or some stores sell a Balsamic glaze too. I use this for all kinds of things when just a drizzle is enough.

Instructions:

Poke the baby eggplants a couple of times with a sharp knife same as you would a baked potato. Put in an oven-proof pan and roast at 375 for 30 minutes or until mushy when you poke them with the knife again. They will discolor a bit but that’s fine.

Remove them from the oven and cut off the stem end and toss it. Then cube the rest of eggplants and put them in a salad bowl. Don’t be alarmed that some of the eggplant has gone a light brown color. Eggplant is not pretty when roasted but it tastes authentic Italian. Add the other ingredients and stir. Let this sit for a minimum of 15 minutes to meld the flavors. I think eggplant needs salt to bring out the flavor. You decide for yourself and add as much pepper as you like. This can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to a few days. The longer it’s in there the more mushy it will look. Not pretty, but tasty. I served it room temperature with the Italian pork tenderloin with sun-dried tomato gravy.  Tastes like a fancy, rustic Italian meal.

Enjoy!

Cheers,