Middle Eastern Eggplant Salad

[Kitchen Witch]

Middle Eastern Eggplant Salad

Reminiscent of baba ghanoush, this salad can be served alongside roasted or grilled meats or as a dip with crackers or flatbread.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

2 medium red bell peppers
1 medium tomato, peeled and seeded
3 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
Dash of ground red pepper
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound eggplant, cut into (1-inch) cubes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper



1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 12 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and chop.

3. Place tomato in a blender; process until smooth. Combine tomato puree, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, ground red pepper, and garlic in a blender; process until smooth.

4. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add eggplant; cook 30 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in bell pepper and tomato mixture. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper.

Nutritional Information
Calories:182
Fat:14.1g (sat 2g,mono 9.9g,poly 1.7g)
Protein:2.7g
Carbohydrate:14.6g
Fiber:6g
Cholesterol:0.3mg
Iron:1.2mg
Sodium:315mg
Calcium:25mg