Fairytale Eggplant + Quinoa Bowl with Cherry Tomatoes, Jammy Eggs, + Herby Tahini
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
Black pepper
Cooked quinoa or grain/starch of your choice such as farro, rice, or sweet potatoes
Fairytale eggplants, stems removed and halved lengthwise (if you can’t find fairytale eggplant, cube regular eggplant)
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Eggs cooked to your liking such as soft-boiled/jammy, fried, or poached (additional proteins: chickpeas, lentils, chicken, salmon, or tofu)
Microgreens for garnish
For the herby tahini:
Tahini
Lemon juice
Finely chopped fresh herbs such as dill, mint, parsley, and/or cilantro
Fine grain sea salt
METHOD
Heat up a large pan and drizzle enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the eggplant to one side of the pan and the tomatoes to the other side. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Cook until the eggplant is golden and tender and the tomatoes are soft and jammy. Set aside.
While the eggplants and tomatoes cook, prepare the tahini. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of tahini with the juice of half of a lemon and a pinch of salt. Whisk until the mixture seizes. Then, slowly whisk in water until the mixture just begins to loosen. Taste and adjust for seasoning (does it need more lemon? salt?). Mix in some herbs.
Assemble the bowl. Add quinoa to the base and layer with the eggplant, tomatoes, protein of your choice, tahini, herbs, and microgreens.
