It’s heating up here in Sacramento. That means longer days and hotter temps.
It also means the farmers’ markets are filled with veggies and summer fruit.
And while I love filling my basket with fresh produce and other treats, I have to get a little more creative about how I’m going to cook them before they go bad.
In the case of eggplant, when the weather is cooler, it’s an easy fix. I just slice it up, roast it, and eat it throughout the week.
But when we hit temps over 100, my desire to stay in the kitchen with a hot oven drops to zero.
It was this situation that helped me to create one of my favorite summer eggplant recipes- Shrimp, eggplant, and quinoa.
It’s simple, quick, and very versatile.
Simple because there are just a few ingredients. Quick because it’s under 20 minutes. And versatile because if eggplant isn’t your thing, you can sub out for lots of other veggies, including zucchini or squash.
Here’s the rundown for four servings:
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (I like Hunt’s diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano)
- 2 pounds of shrimp, peeled
- 1 cup of uncooked quinoa
- Salt to taste
Directions:
In a pot, cook quinoa based on directions on the bag (I like Kirkland Signature Organic Quinoa. It takes about 20 minutes to make it from start to finish)
At the same time, in a 12-inch skillet, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and heat to medium
Dice eggplant into 1 inch cubes and add to skillet
Sauté for approximately 12 minutes, or until eggplant starts to soften (it will lose it’s “rubbery” taste)
Add canned diced tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Salt to taste
Add shrimp to skillet and cook until shrimp are cooked through and pink
Scoop out quinoa onto plates, top with shrimp, eggplant, tomato mix
Top with cheese if desired (I like feta, my husband goes for mozzarella)
Done and done!
Simple and healthy- plus guilt free because that huge eggplant was put to good use!
