Eggplant is my friend

Eggplant is such a great vegetable. It's not only gorgeous, who can resist that purple color? But it's also versatile and so yummy!

The trouble is cooking a fresh eggplant. It's something I'm not overly familiar with and just .... oh alright, I'm lazy.

But I was recently introduced to two ready-made eggplant items that I've incorporated into my life with great ease. This one:


Is so super easy to use that it probably should be illegal. They are prebreaded and all you have to do is brown them in a little olive oil (takes all of 2 minutes!) and you have a great addition to a veggie/pasta dish or the perfect, quick makings for an eggplant parmigana hero.

I used them with my usual throw a pile of veggies into a pot, saute 'em and toss with pasta dish.
This is just some string beans, wax beans, carrots and chopped collard greans sauteed in garlic and oil with some pine nuts.

I threw that over some pasta (not whole wheat I'm afraid... I was in a rush and used some angel hair that I had because it cooks so quickly).

Then I topped it all with a quickly browned cutlet.

Very scrumptious. And insanely quick.


Sabra makes a sauteed eggplant that is really good on top of toasted bread.

I sliced up a bagette, this one was salted - yum! And dropped a dollop of the eggplant on top.

I found this eggplant a tiny bit too sweet for me so I sprinkled some hot pepper flakes on top.
It was just enough heat to offset the sweet.
Makes a nice hors d'oevres - or just a nice snack.
Now to practice cooking with a fresh eggplant!