Eggplant and Kale with Rice
So, we had a whole bunch of kale and eggplant left over from a shoot, and decided to make a veggie-centered dish. Super easy, quick, and rich in vitamins. Serves 2 hungry people.
Ingredients:
-1 large bunch of kale
-1 medium sized eggplant
-2 cups rice
-aprox. 4 tbs olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste
-2 tbs vinaigrette
For the kale:
Separate the stems from the leaves of the kale with a knife, and chop into 1 in pieces. Set aside. Continue on to the leaves, and cut into long thin strips. Boil water (enough to submerge kale) and throw in stems. They will take a little longer to cook, so put them in about 5-10 minutes before adding the leaves. Cover and cook the leaves for 5 minutes. Strain, and toss with oil or butter and salt and pepper. If you’re feeling adventurous, throw in a squeeze of lemon juice!
For the eggplant:
Wash and peel most of eggplant skin (leaving a few small strips for color and texture). Heat a skillet with olive oil and vinaigrette. Cut the eggplant into thick coins and when the skillet is hot, place coins and fry until tender. Be careful not to crowd pan, or eggplant will not cook evenly.
Plate eggplant and kale, serve with rice or cous-cous.
…and for your edification:
Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Kale, as with Broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane, a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties, particularly when chopped. {via Wikipedia}
yay!
