Food & Recipes

• 1 tablespoon
  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small
  eggplant, (about 12 ounces), cubed
• 2 cloves
  garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon
  salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons
  tahini, (see Note)
• 3 tablespoons
  lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon
  water
• 1 15 ounce can or 19 ounce can
  chick peas or cannellini beans, rinsed (See Tip)
• 3 tablespoons
  fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
• 2 medium
  tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 medium
  red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup
  crumbled feta
• 1/4 cup
  briny black olives, halved pitted
• 4 
  whole wheat pita breads, warmed and cut in half or into wedges

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant, garlic and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is soft and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk tahini, lemon juice, water and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Stir in chickpeas (or beans), parsley and the eggplant.
3. Arrange the chickpea-eggplant salad, tomatoes, onion, feta, olives (if using) and pitas on a platter. Serve at room temperature or chilled and sprinkled with more parsley, if desired.

 

To Make Ahead: Cover and refrigerate the chickpea salad (Steps 1-2) for up to 4 hours.Note:  Tahini is a thick paste of ground sesame seeds. Look for it in large supermarkets in the Middle Eastern section or near other nut butters.Tip:  While we love the convenience of canned beans, they tend to be high in sodium. Give them a good rinse before adding to a recipe to rid them of some of their sodium (up to 35 percent) or opt for low-sodium or no-salt-added varieties. (Our recipes are analyzed with rinsed, regular canned beans.) Or, if you have the time, cook your own beans from scratch.