Who would have thought coming into this new year that we would be going through anything like the pandemic we are now living through. The government all seems to be working together, finally, to do what our country needs. People and business have sacrificed so much to try and stop this virus. Closing restaurants, bars, now even parks are closed in our area quickly makes you realize how serious this is.
As far as my sanity I’m cooking and crafting. This is a perfect time for me to experiment with some recipes. But, the only problem is, who is going to eat all this food since there are only two of us. Oh well, I’ll worry about those extra pounds later. Movie going — cancelled, bunco — cancelled, craft circle — cancelled, girls night out — cancelled, night out to dinner — cancelled; all my favorite things have been postponed or cancelled And, now, my shoulder surgery canceled. So, what’s left to do but cook.
When out buying groceries just days before the big surge on grocery buying/hoarding, I came across these tiny little eggplants. They were just so cute I could not pass them up. The Pesto Salsa I used on these little eggplants could be used on some grilled zucchini or Japanese eggplant slices or even halved roasted fingerling/new potatoes.
BLAST FROM THE PAST: This Raspberry Ciabatta Bread Pudding would be a quick dessert to throw together
Cute little baby eggplants but you could use the smaller Japanese eggplants for this recipe.
Found these at the grocery the other day.
Cut the baby eggplants (or do slices of Japanese eggplant)in half and toss with a little olive oil and put cut side down on cookie sheet.
Baby Eggplant with Pine Nut Salsa
Ingredients
- 6 baby eggplants
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil and extra for brushing eggplants
- handful of parsley
- handful of basil or use 2 handfuls of parsley
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
- 3-4 Tbsp. toasted pinenuts
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 Tbsp. parmesan cheese
Instructions
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To make the pine nut salsa put the parsley, basil, shallot, green onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon zest and salt and pepper in a bowl add enough olive oil to make the mixture loose. Stir in about 2 tablespoons of the parmesan cheese and add the toasted pine nuts.
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Cut the baby eggplants in half lengthwise, put in a bowl and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper.
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Lightly spray the baking sheet with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Place the eggplant halves cut side down on the pan and put in a 425° oven. They cook really fast so keep an eye on them. Cook for about 15-20 minutes. After about 10 minutes use a spatula and raise one up to check that they are not browning too quickly. You do not want to overcook them.
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Remove the eggplant from oven and put them skin side down and let cool a few minutes. Arrange on a platter and spoon the Pine Nut salsa on each one. Serve extra salsa in a small bowl alongside the eggplants.
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