I often dream of my grand entrance to some award ceremony being a boisterous stroll with “Return of the Mack” blaring in the background. Unfortunately, until I get my act together I can’t imagine winning an award for anything and “Return of the Mack” will have to be confined to my November iTunes workout playlist.
So there is another “Mack”. The Eggplant. Easily a major player in a meat-loving, vegan-transitioner diet. What can’t this plant do?! It’s like meat but… not! I’ve had a love-hate relationship with eggplant all summer but one of my veggie cookbooks my mom got me boasted this amazingly easy, cheap and delicious recipe that I had to give the ol’ ‘plant another shot.
Roasted Eggplant- Lentil Caviar Crostini. That sounds frickin’ pretentious- not gonna lie but I promise this recipe doesn’t require a prep- school- education- that- failed- to- meet- the- Ivy- hype.
Adapted From The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook
2 medium eggplants
Some garlic cloves
lemon juice
Olive Oil
Salt and Cayenne Pepper
Lentil Caviar (additional recipe)
Loaf of crusty bread
1. Split eggplants in half, roast at 400 for 40-45 minutes
2. After cooling for 10 minutes, scoop out eggplant flesh
3. Mix (I wish I had a food processor for this one but whatever) with garlic, lemon juice, a couple plugs of olive oil, salt and cayenne.
3. Add Lentil Caviar: you’ll need some vegetable oil, half cup of onion, 1/4 cup of diced carrots, 1/2 cup lentils, 2 tablespoons of red wine, a cup of water and pinches of salt. Sautee the veggies until aromatic, add the lentils, add wine to reduce. Lower heat and let simmer for 40 minutes. Salt to taste
4. Slather mixture on toasted slices of bread
Voila! And feel free to blare “Return of the Mack” while cooking:
