Cooking is by far my favorite hobby of all time – it’s no surprise that this blog is my passion project. It’s probably in my Lebanese genes, but I love cooking and sharing a meal with friends and family. Evan learned this from the start of our relationship – that the way to my heart is through food. He’d save up on what little money he had in college and treat me to dinners at restaurants around DC early in our relationship. He’d surprise me with chocolates and cupcakes. He’d even try his hand at cooking despite his very limited experience and lack of an oven for a year (as the southerners would say, ‘bless his heart’).
To this day, Evan knows how to brighten my day, and it still usually involves food. When I saw fairy tale eggplant for the first time, it was after a pool day and nearing the end of summer (cue summertime sadness) and Evan was running toward me in the supermarket, cradling a pint of the cutest little purple eggplants. He’d hit the jackpot and he knew it. Not only are mini vegetables adorable, but I happen to love eggplant and these were just the most vibrant purple.
When we got home a year ago with our prized mini eggplants, I had no clue what to do with them. Enter google. I knew I wanted something with a Mediterranean flair (surprise, surprise), but I had no idea how to even cook these eggplant. After a lot of research, I was delighted to find out that fairy tale eggplant doesn’t need to be peeled since the skin is not tough like normal eggplant, and it cooks in a matter of minutes. Ever since, I’ve been roasting and pan-searing them.
The eggplants are cut in half and almost caramelized, seasoned simply with olive oil and salt and then served on top of a chickpea and quinoa salad and drizzled with a spiced yogurt sauce and topped with crumbled feta. It’s summery, easy, and healthy, and I’ve made it no less than 10 times this summer. The other great part about fairy tale eggplant? It’s super reasonably priced at only 2.99/lb, and this recipe only calls for 3/4 lb.
- Spiced Yogurt
- ½ cup plain yogurt (I use low-fat or whole milk yogurt)
- 1 clove garlic, mashed
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- pinch of cayenne to taste
- pinch of cumin to taste
- Quinoa Salad
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well
- 2 cucumbers, halved length-wise and chopped
- 1 cup cherry or mini heirloom tomatoes, halved
- 2 green onions, sliced, including some of the green
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 1 can (1½ cups) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- crumbled feta, to taste
- Fairy Tale Eggplant
- ¾ pound fairy tale eggplant, halved
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- salt to taste
- Combine all the ingredients for the spiced yogurt and mix well. Add seasonings as desired (I usually add up to ⅛ teaspoon each of cumin and cayenne pepper). Set aside in the fridge.
- Cook the quinoa according to package instructions and let cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables for the quinoa salad. Combine the cooled quinoa, cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, parsley, and chickpeas.
- Make the dressing by whisking together the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Add the dressing to the salad and toss well.
- Add the olive oil to a medium-large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fairy tale eggplants, cut side down. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until the eggplants begins to brown. Flip the eggplants and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the eggplant are tender.
- On each plate, arrange the quinoa salad, desired amount of eggplant, and sprinkle with crumbled feta and drizzle with spiced yogurt. Serve immediately.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
September 10, 2016 at 4:07 pmAh! Those are the cutest eggplant ever!!! Love it!
Christine says
September 11, 2016 at 3:13 pmAren’t they? They’re my favorite type to – so quick to cook and delicious!
Allie @ Miss Allie's Kitchen says
September 12, 2016 at 8:36 amThose eggplants! Love this I was drooling over your post, girl! Pinning right now!
Christine says
September 12, 2016 at 7:39 pmThanks, Allie! I adore these little eggplants – so yummy!
Henri says
August 12, 2018 at 9:31 amA friend made this dish and it was soooo good. I asked for the recipe and she sent me the link to this page. Thanks for sharing this.