EGGPLANT CAPONATA

Eggplant is one of those vegetables that seems like more work than it’s worth. But just one taste of this eggplant caponata will make any and all of that work worthwhile. The sweetness from the raisins is the ideal complement for the salty olives. And the crunchy pine nuts pair perfectly with the creamy eggplant.

Aside from being delicious, this dish is absolutely nutritious. For those following the 4Q Method, you can feel confident that it can be added to your meals and could even count as a balanced snack all on its own. To journal, simply count it as a non-starchy vegetable as well as your healthy fat.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 medium eggplant

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 medium Vidalia onion, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tomatoes, diced

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 1/3 cup pine nuts

• 1/3 cup pitted and chopped Castelvetrano olives

• 1/3 cup raisins

• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut eggplant into 1 inch cubes, lay out on a plate, and sprinkle with 1/8 tsp salt. Let sit for five to ten minutes to draw out moisture.

2. In the meantime, sauté onion and garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/8 tsp salt in a rondeau or pot over medium heat.

3. Once garlic and onion are tender, add in eggplant, tomato, bell pepper, and the rest of salt and olive oil. Let vegetables cook for 2-3 minutes and then cover to allow the vegetables to get soft and for liquid to form in the mixture. This should take another 5-10 minutes. Once vegetables are nice and tender, almost forming a thick-stewy consistency, remove from heat.

4. In the meantime, toast pine nuts in a pan for 3-5 minutes, being careful not to let them burn.

5. Mix pine nuts, olives, and raisins into cooked vegetables.

6. Season with salt and pepper as needed, and enjoy!

4Q Journaling Guide: Because of the nuts and olives, this dish would be count as your fat and because of the eggplant, pepper, tomato, and onion, it would also contribute to your non-starchy vegetables for the meal!