Asparagus Eggplant Recipe

Oooh I love this combo. It screams SUMMER to me, so although it’s not quite let’s-go-nuts-with-aubergine season yet, I couldn’t resist an early purchase of firm eggplants and tender asparagus shoots. Aubergines are foxy. That plump pendulous roundness, smooth skin, that wonderfully rare violet hue… These two recipes are simple ways to celebrate two awesome vegetables. No frills, just subtle flavourings to let the veges shine and sing.

I’ve had a version of this recipe on a scrap of paper for well over ten years. (I have no idea where it came from, so I hope I don’t tread on any copyright toes here!) The paper-scrap also says that this recipe predates the arrival of the tomato in Italy, which is another reason why I love it so much – aubergine is so often paired with tomato, and once you take away those higher acidic notes, you can truly appreciate the subtle, moist, almost earthiness of the aubergine.

Preheat the oven to 180C and get out two baking dishes – the aubergine will need a slightly larger one than the asparagus.

Barbecued Asparagus And Eggplant

Slice both the aubergines into 1cm rounds. Put the rice flour on a plate and sprinkle it liberally with salt. Dip the aubergine rounds lightly into the flour, then fry them in a little oil until they become slightly golden on each side. It will take a couple of batches, and it can become a bit smoky if you’re not careful. As each batch of rounds is cooked, layer them in the baking dish. When the aubergine is done, fry the chopped onion too and sprinkle it through the layers of cooked aubergine. Whisk the eggs together with the milk and a generous dose of salt and pepper. Add any herbs of choice if using, and pour it over the aubergine and onion mixture.

If you’re just making the aubergine dish, it takes 25 minutes to cook. But if you’re making the asparagus dish at the same time and you want them in the oven together, then pop the aubergine in to cook and set the timer for 10 minutes. During this time, prep the asparagus: break or cut off any tough woody stalk ends and put the asparagus in the smaller baking dish. Drizzle over the olive oil, crush the garlic over it, give it a hearty grind of salt and pepper and stir the lot together. Once the aubergine timer has rung at the 10 minutes mark, add the asparagus to the oven and reset the timer for another 15 minutes. Your kitchen is gonna smell awesome.Grilling is perfect for hot summer days when you don’t want to use the stove or oven. This asparagus and eggplant roll-up recipe is a very quick and easy way to incorporate non-starchy vegetables to just about any summer meal. 

This recipe calls for lightly drizzling your vegetables with basting oil, which contains sunflower oil and dried herbs. Sunflower oil contains omega-6 fatty acids which are pro-inflammatory, when consumed regularly.

Asparagus Pasta Recipes You'll Want To Make On Repeat

For an anti-inflammatory alternative, try drizzling the veggies with extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil instead. These healthy oils contain high levels of monounsaturated fat, which when consumed regularly, can lower your risk for heart disease. Also, pairing vegetables with a healthy fat increases the body’s ability to absorb fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, & K) which are naturally found in many veggies. With regard to this recipe, eggplant contains vitamin K and asparagus contains vitamins A and K. 

Preheat grill on HIGH 10 min. Arrange eggplant slices on baking sheet; sprinkle lightly with salt. Let stand 30 min; pat with paper towel to remove moisture.

Coat cleaned grill grate lightly with vegetable oil. Arrange vegetables on grill; cook about 2 min. Turn. Cook about 2 min until browned and slightly pliable. Remove from grill; cool briefly.

No Fry Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

This healthy recipe was posted in partnership with Wegmans. Simplify your shopping and download the list of ingredients to bring on your next grocery run⁠ — or add these items to your cart and check-out online!

* Nutritional information is based on ingredients listed and serving size; any additions or substitutions to ingredients may alter the recipe’s nutritional content

Copyright  ©2020. Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This recipe was posted with permission from Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., however, all special diet claims attributed to this recipe were determined and referenced by Catholic Health. 

Matt Moran's Eggplant Kasundi, Poached Egg, Asparagus And Toast

This healthy recipe was posted in partnership with Wegmans. Simplify your shopping and download the list of ingredients to bring on your next grocery run⁠ — or add these items to your cart and check-out online!

* Nutritional information is based on ingredients listed and serving size; any additions or substitutions to ingredients may alter the recipe’s nutritional content

Copyright  ©2020. Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This recipe was posted with permission from Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., however, all special diet claims attributed to this recipe were determined and referenced by Catholic Health. 

Matt Moran's Eggplant Kasundi, Poached Egg, Asparagus And Toast