Eggplant Mash Up

It has been yet another busy week! It was my brother Ben's birthday, my parents were in town for a summer vacation, and I am in full-speed gear-up mode for school to start in just a few short weeks! But even with all of this going on, Shea and I are still making time to eat like royalty!

I've never made anything like this recipe before, but the picture in Food and Wine was gorgeous, and I like Andrew Zimmern's food. We don't have a grill, so I cooked the eggplant on the stove-top, but other than that tried to follow the recipe closely. And I'm glad I did! It was a great mixture of veggies and spices and paired nicely with rice.

Eggplant Mash Up
Courtesy of Food and Wine Magazine and Andrew Zimmern

Ingredients

2 large eggplants (2 pounds total), cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
Sea salt
Pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups thinly sliced Savoy cabbage (9 ounces)
1 pint multicolored cherry tomatoes, halved
 1 red bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup chopped parsley, plus leaves for garnish
1/4 small red onion, minced
1/4 cup chopped mint, plus leaves for garnish
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions
Arrange the eggplant rounds in a single layer on a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, cover with a second baking sheet and let stand for 1 hour. Pat dry.

Light a grill or preheat the broiler. Season the eggplant with salt; brush with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Grill over moderate heat, turning once, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to the rack to cool. Cut into 1-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the shallot, garlic, curry powder, oregano and cumin and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook until softened, 3 minutes.

In a bowl, combine the eggplant, cabbage, tomatoes, bell pepper, parsley, onion, mint, cilantro and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Top with parsley and mint leaves and cilantro sprigs and serve.