The combo of greens, corn, glazed eggplant and quinoa with the zesty lime dressing is killer. I could eat this all day long. I am officially hooked on the quinoa.
Quinoa Salad with Eggplant and Corn
Recipe from http://www.saveur.com/
1 graffiti or Japanese eggplant, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
2 tsp. canola oil
3 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. mirin
2 tsp. sesame seeds
2 ears corn, kernels removed (approximately 2 cups)
1 head frisée, light green and white parts only, trimmed to 2" pieces (approximately 2 cups) (I used chopped spinach because thats what I had in my fridge and it worked really well. Use whatever greens you've got.)
1/3 cup chives, cut into 1/2" batons
2 tsp. lime zest (approximately 1 lime)
3 tbsp. lime juice (2 limes)
3 tbsp. olive oil
salt & freshly ground pepper
*I love eggplant, so used 3 small Japanese eggplants and doubled the glaze.
1. Combine 6 cups of water and 1 tbsp. of salt in a 3-4 qt. saucepan and bring to a boil. Add quinoa and simmer 12-15 minutes until grains are tender and have separated. Remove from heat and drain quinoa in a fine mesh sieve. Set sieve back over empty pot, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest 10-15 minutes.
2. Toss eggplant cubes with 1 tbsp. salt and drain in a colander for 15 minutes. Squeeze dry. Heat canola oil in a 10" sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add eggplant and sauté until browned on all sides, 3-4 minutes. Whisk together 1 tbsp. of the honey, soy sauce and mirin. Add to eggplant, stirring to coat, and cook 1-2 minutes more until glazed. Transfer to a small bowl, toss with sesame seeds and set aside.
3. Whisk together remaining honey, lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and fresh pepper. Toss with cooked quinoa, eggplant, corn kernels, frisée and chives. Season to taste.
