Mediterranean Eggplant Salad

Eggplant is one of those veggies that we don't hear much about.  It's not a vibrant green or deep red.  Its pale fleshy meat is a little bland, and we often wonder what to do with it aside from breading it, frying it and topping it with sauce and cheese in Eggplant Parmesan.  Eggplant is a great food-source of chlorogenic acid - a great anti-cancer, antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-LDL (bad cholesterol) source.   Researchers have found that an important phytonutrient found in the skin of the eggplant - nasunin - is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger that protects cell membranes from damage, especially the lipids in brain cell membranes.  Make sure you purchase organic eggplant so that you can eat the skin without concern of pesticide residues.

This is a super simple salad that's great for a one-dish summer supper paired with some crusty bread with olive oil, or some pita and hummus.  By roasting the eggplant in the morning while I'm getting ready for my day then chilling it in the fridge until dinner time, the actual meal prep time is reduced to just a few minutes in the evening.  This little bit of pre-planning is also great insurance against that last minute "there's nothing to fix for dinner" panic that often sends us dashing to the nearest drive thru for carry-out.

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, roasted, chilled*
1/2 medium purple onion, diced (or white onion)
4-6 medium tomatoes, diced
1 bunch of parsley, coarsely chopped
olive oil
salt & pepper

Directions:
Cut chilled roasted eggplant into cubes.  In large bowl, combine eggplant (and the garlic cloves used in the roasting), onion, tomatoes and parsley.  Drizzle a tablespoon, or two, of olive oil over vegetables, add salt & pepper to taste.  Makes 4 large servings.

*To roast eggplant:  wash thoroughly and cut in half lengthwise.  Make several slits in cut surface of eggplant (I usually try to make at least 4 slits in each half) and insert whole (or halved) cloves of garlic in each slit.  Rub the cut surfaces with a little bit of olive oil and then top with a light sprinkling of ground thyme, some dried rosemary, salt & pepper.  Place in shallow baking dish and cover with foil.  Place in 375 degree oven for 10 minutes, remove foil and continue roasting for 30 minutes.  


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