Roasted Eggplant & Lentils over Tomato Cream
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- Cooked Lentils 2 ½ cup
- eggplant 2 ½ lb
- extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp
- Kosher
- medium lemon 1
- flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems 1 handful
- fresh basil or fresh mint leaves ½ cup
- Creamy Tomato Sauce 1 cup
- Crunchy Topper ½ cup
- Crusty bread to serve 4
- fat garlic clove 1
Storage: Store the eggplant and lentils separately from the Creamy Tomato Sauce in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days. Reheat the eggplant and lentils in a nonstick pan with a touch of oil over medium heat until warm. Toast your bread and rub it with garlic right before serving. Plate the eggplant and lentils with the Creamy Tomato Sauce, Crunchy Topper, and garlic toast right before serving. Nutrition boost: Mix in some sliced roasted red pepper or halved cherry tomatoes with the eggplant and lentils. For added protein, stir some store-bought baked tofu (or homemade baked tofu) and/or hemp seeds into the eggplant and lentils. Shortcut: No-oven option: If you bought zucchini instead of eggplant, slice the zucchini into ¼-inch (.5 cm) thick slabs. Stack a few slabs, then slice into ¼-inch (.5 cm) thick batons. Now slice the batons crosswise (you’re aiming for bite-sized matchsticks). Check out the video instructions here. Toss the julienned zucchini with a few drizzles of good-quality olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until it tastes well-seasoned. Fold into the lentil salad in step 9.
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1Gather: Cooked Lentils , eggplant , extra virgin olive oil , Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, medium lemon , flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems , fresh basil or fresh mint leaves , Creamy Tomato Sauce , Crunchy Topper . For the for serving:: Crusty bread to serve , fat garlic clove .
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2Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven and another on the bottommost shelf. Preheat to 450ºF / 230ºC. Line two rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper. Take the Cooked Lentils out of the fridge.
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3Trim the stem and bottom of the eggplant so you have a flat surface. Stand the eggplant upright. Use a sharp knife and slice into ½-inch (1.5 cm) slabs. Lay each slab flat and cut into ½-inch (1.5 cm) cubes. Don’t cut them too big or the eggplant will take longer to get tender.
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4In a large bowl, toss the eggplant with 3 tbsp of olive oil and 1 heaping teaspoon of kosher salt. If it feels dry, add a drizzle of oil. Divide across the lined pans and spread out (it’s okay if the pieces touch a bit). Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, then stir. Roast for 15-20 minutes , or until golden brown on the outside with a soft creamy interior.
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5While the eggplant roasts, prepare everything else (steps 5 through 8) and prepare your side salad (if you’re making one).
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6Add the Cooked Lentils to a large microwave-safe bowl, add a splash of water, cover, and microwave until warm. Toss the warm lentils with 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice, 3/4 tsp kosher salt, and several cracks of pepper. Taste, adding more of the above until well-seasoned. Marinate until the eggplant is done.
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7Chop the parsley and mix it into the lentils. If using, tear the basil or mint leaves with your hands and set aside for garnish.
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8Heat the Creamy Tomato Sauce in the microwave or in a saucepan until warm. Schmear timer cup (65g) of the sauce onto plates.
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9Toast your bread using your method of choice. While it’s still warm, rub the halved garlic clove across one side of each slice.
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10Add the roasted eggplant to the lentils and toss to coat. Season with a pinch of salt or pepper (keep in mind the Creamy Tomato Sauce has salt) and lemon juice to taste. Divide the eggplant and lentils on top of the Creamy Tomato Sauce. Garnish with basil/mint (if using) and the Crunchy Topper. Serve with garlic toast to scoop up and prepare your side salad, if you made one.