Roasted Garlic and Eggplant Simply Elevated

Eggplant is a very versatile ingredient.  Did you know that technically an eggplant is considered a fruit, not a vegetable?  

Eggplant can be baked, fried and even pureed into a dip.  There are a couple of things to take notice of when shopping and choosing your eggplant.

At the store or farmer's market:
1) Avoid eggplant with brown spots on the skin
2) Avoid eggplant with mold or dark brown stems
3) Eggplant should be bounce back when pressed gently
4) Heavy feeling when held

The smaller eggplants are generally less bitter because they contain less seeds.  If you have a larger eggplant you can remove most of the bitterness by soaking the slices in salt water.

Ok, here is what I did with my two medium sized eggplants!

I cut in half and then diced them into small chunks.  I layered them on a baking pan and poured about 1/2 cup of liquid coconut oil on them.  Be sure to coat all pieces.

To this mix I quartered several gloves of peeled garlic.  

Cover the baking pan and cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Stir and check to see if they are all soft and not sticking.  Next, uncover and roast until golden brown.  You might need to add additional oil at this point.  

Once, the color is achieved place your eggplant in a serving bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and 'Simply Elevate' with one of our gourmet blended sea salts.  We love this dish with:  Sun Ripened Tomato or Smoked Serrano or Ghost Pepper

Pair this with a nice loaf of bread or Bruschetta!