Spiced Lentils and Pine Nuts over Roasted Eggplant
A flavorful and filling vegetarian entrée that will please even the carnivores at your table!
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Stockpot
- Kitchen knife
- Immersion blender
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 large Eggplant
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 stalks Celery
- 1 large Carrot
- 1 medium Onion
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 large Tomato
- 3/4 cup Lentils
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 cups Stock
- 1/2 cup Water
- 2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
- 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley
- 1/4 cup Pine nuts
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Tahini Sauce Amount to preference
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Turn oven to 450. Taking eggplant, slice in half the long way and score the inside to create a nice cross pattern, with slices about 1 inch apart. Brush with olive oil, and sprinkling with the red pepper flakes and half of the thyme, and placing on the baking sheet, put in oven to roast until a nice dark coloring forms on the top-about 30 minutes.
- While this is roasting, in a stockpot, heat butter and add chopped onions, celery and carrots until tender and fragrant.
- Stir in minced garlic, chopped tomato and stock and turn to low, allowing flavors to meld and all to become tender.
- Being careful with hot liquid, using the immersion blender, coarsely blend this together to make a chunky sauce. Add in cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper and bring heat back up.
- Add lentils and place lid on slightly ajar and allow lentils to simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Add water as needed to cover the lentils. Turn heat down and fully cover until eggplant is ready to serve.
- In a skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil and toast the pine nuts until they are a nice darker brown, but not charred. Set on paper towel to absorb any access grease.
- Removing eggplant from the oven, plate and spoon over a healthy portion of the lentil mixture. Top with a drizzle of tahini, a little more olive oil, chopped fresh parsley, rosemary, thyme and the toasted pine nuts. Enjoy!