It’s been two weeks since I’ve cooked a decent meal for myself. Let alone eating out while at the conference I just attended really disturbed by intestine homeostasis (for those of you who suffer from intestinal pain daily, you feel me). So, when I was at the local grocery store, they actually had decent looking eggplants for sale, at a reasonable price, so I bought one and curtailed my Sunday menu to that.

Of course, I live by myself so I usually make one meal on Sunday and it lasts me for the entire week either eating it for lunch or dinner during the week days while I’m at work. So, I tend to make something that’s larger in quantity and almost always is vegetarian. I love veggies, they are delicious and I could never be a carnivore. I do eat meat, and some of my posts will be about meat I make, but honestly, if I had a choice, it would be veggies everyday all day.

Now, I also love chickpeas. LOVE chickpeas. On salads, as main dishes, as hummus, in soups; you name it, I love chickpeas in it. They are so versatile. From cold and crisp salad toppers, to Indian dishes, to added into a pasta sauce. They are amazing! In addition, I found eggplant at the local grocery store (and they actually looked tasty) so I bought one and looked online for an idea to incorporate both pieces.

I made a roasted tomatoes, eggplant, and chickpea dish topped with reduced fat feta cheese. I used the following ingredients: 1 can of roasted tomatoes, 1 can of diced tomatoes, little salt, pinch of dried oregano, a pinch of black pepper, a whole eggplant cut into 0.5 inch slices, 3 tbsps of olive oil, a small container of reduced fat feta cheese, and 2 cans of chickpeas.

Instructions:

1. Glaze eggplant slices lightly with olive oil. Flavor with garlic salt, pepper, or whatever you enjoy. Roast at 425 degrees until soft.

2. Let cool. Spray large pyrex dish with non-stick spray. Place roasted eggplant slices in dish until no more space allows. Keep the rest of the eggplants at the side.

3. Heat the can of roasted tomatoes and diced tomatoes. Flavor with seasonings you enjoy.

4. Place all of the chickpeas on top of the eggplant slices. Place half of the tomato mixture over the chickpeas. Incorporate with chickpeas.

5.  Place the remaining eggplant slices on top of the chickpeas. Cover with the remaining tomato sauce. Spread feta cheese all over the top of the dish

6. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

**This dish is best if served over brown or jasmine rice.

Eggplant slices were placed on the bottom and the top of a large pyrex dish to bake.

Topped with reduced fat feta cheese makes this dish less bland and that much more delicious.

Eggplant chickpea paired with a light ceasar salad.