Roasted Eggplant and Feta Quinoa Salad

No, making Eggplant Parmesan is not the only thing you can do with an eggplant, which is usually the only recipe most people that I talk to can tell me when they hear the word eggplant. It is very versatile, and can be grilled, roasted, whatever you want just like other vegetables. This roasted eggplant salad brings out the eggplant flavor with adding a punch of fresh herbs, salty Feta cheese, and crunchy quinoa.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt and pepper
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 c. loose spinach
1/4 c. Feta cheese
1 package Uncle Ben's Quinoa and Brown Rice with garlic

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and lightly grease with non stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix the cubed eggplant, 2 Tbs. oil, and season with the salt and pepper. Coat all of the eggplant with the oil and then spread out on an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add in the spinach and minced garlic and cook for about 2-3 minutes until the garlic is roasted and the spinach is wilted. Cook the Uncle Ben's package according to directions. Remove the garlic and spinach from the heat and to the pan, add the roasted eggplant. Stir in the Uncle Ben's quinoa and the crumbled Feta cheese.

Cinnamon BMT

Ingredients:
4 slices White Sandwich Bread
1 Large Tomato
Cinnamon Crusted Bacon, (from a local meat shop called Northern Meats)
2 eggs, fried and seasoned with salt and pepper
Miracle Whip

Cook the bacon until it is slightly crunchy, and then place on paper towel to drain. Set aside. Slice the tomato into thin slices. Spread a thin layer of miracle whip on each piece of bread.

To assemble: Bread, tomato, bacon, fried egg, bread. This sandwich is so creamy, it doesn't even need cheese!

Roasted Zucchini and Eggplant

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplant, cubed

2 zucchini, cubed

4 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. garlic salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the cubed vegetables in a jelly roll pan. Drizzle oil over the top. Sprinkle with the garlic salt and use your hands to coat. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Stir the vegetables and bake for another 10 minutes. 

Baked Eggplant Penne

Ingredients:
3 Japanese eggplants
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1/3 c. Asiago
1 ball fresh Mozzarella, sliced
1 box Penne Pasta
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp. olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place your eggplants on a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until the outside of the eggplant is really dark, almost burnt looking. Let cool. Cut the ends off and cut the eggplant into cubes. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to directions. After draining, place back into the pot that you boiled them in. Mince the garlic and place in a saucepan with the olive oil. Brown the garlic at medium heat. Add the pasta sauce and turn down to low. Stir the eggplant in with the garlic and sauce until combined. Spray a 13x9 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the sauce over the noodles in the pot and mix together. Pour into the greased baking pan. Top with the sliced Mozzarella and sprinkle the Asiago in an even layer on top of that. Bake for 30 minutes until the Mozzarella starts to slightly turn brown. Let cool for five minutes before serving.