Pan Roasted Chipotle Eggplant With Quinoa

Yes, you have seen quite a bit of eggplant, cumin, roasting, and recipes containing these ingredients here lately, but theme of this blog is eating locally and seasonally, so since eggplants are in season I'm trying to help you use them up right along with me. This recipe comes from the cookbook in my head called "How can I take some of the same ingredients and make a different dish?"

Ingredients:

• Medium eggplant sliced in rings (1/2 inch) then diced
• 4T olive oil (divided)
• 2 cloves garlic diced
• 1 chipotle pepper
• 1-2T cumin
• Fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Quinoa pronounced (kwee-no) just kidding..... (keen-wah) for 4 (prepared per package directions)

Preparation:

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, toss in garlic stirring quickly for 30 seconds. Add chipotle pepper and mix, mashing until incorporated into the oil. Toss in eggplant, thyme, and cumin and blend until eggplant is soft, adding the 2 remaining tablespoons of olive oil. 

Prepare quinoa and mix with the eggplant. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot or cold.

Sometimes eating seasonally causes you to be creative as I have tried to be over the past couple of weeks with eggplant — using basically the same ingredients and giving everything a new texture from creamy, soft, and now meaty (without the meat).

OK! Love eggplant and will continue to incorporate it into late summer meals as long as I can get but I'll also be moving on and am so looking forward to fall vegetables! What are you looking forward to?

E.A.T. local E.A.T. well