I must admit that we have been a little bit frazzled lately during our adjustment to the “back to school” schedule. Especially me.
This is the first of several quick weeknight dinners (aka “back to school dinners”) that will hopefully help others in the same situation out there. This recipe was adapted from Mediterranean Every Day by Sheela Prakash, via Food 52.com. I modified the proportions. It gobbled up my CSA box! 🙂
My husband and son ate it over grilled chicken thighs and rice to make it a little bit more hearty. I absolutely loved it served simply over rice.
Yield: Serves 2 to 4 (4 with grilled chicken)
- 2 tablespoons (45 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 (about 3/4 to 1 pound, or 340 to 454 grams, total) eggplant cut into 1/2-inch (1-centimeter) cubes
- Kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 large yellow onion or 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tablespoon (7.5 grams) harissa, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 to 1 pound (340 to 454 grams) plum tomatoes, or Roma tomatoes, chopped (I used a large (3/4 pound) CSA tomato)
- 1/2 (7.5-ounce, or 212.5 grams) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 bunch (about 4 ounces, or 114 grams) lacinato kale, stemmed, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- rice, couscous, quinoa, or bread, for serving, as desired
- grilled chicken thighs, for serving, as desired
- Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the eggplant, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned in spots but not completely tender. Transfer the eggplant to a large bowl and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil to the pot.
- Add the onion and sauté until softened and translucent,3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, harissa, cumin, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas, and eggplant and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Simmer, uncovered, until the eggplant is meltingly tender and the tomatoes have broken down into a thick, chunky sauce, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Stir in the kale and cook until the leaves are bright green and tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Taste and season with additional salt and harissa, as needed.
- Serve over rice, couscous, quinoa, or bread with or without grilled chicken, as desired.
That’s it. I’m dusting off my rice cooker today. (We are currently going through a kitchen remodel and everything is being stored in the basement.) 😜🍂
Wow! How exciting! Best wishes for an uneventful remodeling process. 🙂
Too late. lol. I fell back in June. Tripped over some building materials and pulled my shoulder out of the socket. Ouch! 💥 I’m finally in my early sessions of physical therapy and my kitchen is still “out of order”. It’s been a year, that’s for sure. 😜
Oh no! I am so sorry to hear about your injury. 😦 Hope all is back to normal over there soon.
In time. Thank you for the well wishes, Josette.🍃🌸