Grilled Eggplant with Cumin Vinaigrette and Feta

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2007/09/grilled-eggplant-recipe-with-garlic.html


Adapted from http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2007/09/grilled-eggplant-recipe-with-garlic.html

I had a crazy salad cook off on Friday night and this is one of the three salads I made. 

It was soooooo good. I love eggplant and having it grilled with that cumin garlic vinaigrette and cilantro just made me gush. I dreamed of eating it again as soon as possible and thought it would be good stuffed in a sandwich .  I ended up grilling a few red peppers too with the eggplant. I peeled off the burnt parts and sliced it adding it this symphony of goodness.

You will need:

1 large eggplant, cut in uniform slices 3/4 inch thick
olive oil, for brushing on eggplant
2 T chopped fresh cilantro (or mint or both)
1/4 cup crumbled feta

For vinaigrette:
1/2 tsp. garlic puree or finely minced garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T shallots or red onion, finely minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. Spike Seasoning
3 T extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat gas or charcoal barbecue grill to medium high.

Put all ingredients in a bowl and whisk in olive oil.

Brush eggplant with olive oil on both sides. For criss-cross grill marks, grill 4-5 minutes on first side, then rotate and cook 3-4 minutes more. Turn and cook about 7-8 minutes more on second side. I cooked my eggplant pieces just under 15 minutes total cooking time. Actual cooking time will depend on how hot your grill is and the temperature and thickness of the eggplant. Watch it carefully the last five minutes of cooking time and rotate pieces so they are evenly browned.

To serve, arrange grilled eggplant slices on serving platter, drizzle vinaigrette over, then top with crumbled feta and herbs.