Eggplant Involtini with Feta & Pistachios, Deconstructed {Webisode #57}

What’s Going on Today: Cold, cold, cold. Edit book manuscript, keep the kiddo entertained indoors.

Naptime Goals: Assemble Eggplant Involtini, laundry, house cleaning, emails

Tonight’s Menu: Eggplant Involtini (Deconstructed), Salad

More Great Meatless Entrees: Artichoke-Lemon Pesto with Pasta, Artichoke Lasagna, Eggplant Parmesan, Caprese Pasta Salad, Spanish Garlic Soup, Tomato Soup Florentine, Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew

It is easy to get sucked in to cooking lots of hearty, meaty dishes in the deep of winter. Last week I posted two (2!) recipes for short ribs, twice as many as I published last summer. I think it is some part of my biological make up that I prefer hot heavy food in the winter, and cool light food in the summer. Since I go to the gym regularly I seem to be able to handle this sort of eating pattern. If it ever gets to the point where I can’t zip my jeans you’d better believe I’ll tone it way down, real fast. But, for now, I’ll stick to my warm winter casseroles and slow-cooker recipes in January and love every minute of it.

Today’s recipe was inspired my devotion to the idea of Meatless Mondays. (The movement to eat an entirely vegetarian diet at least one day a week in order to save the planet.) It was also inspired by my fondness for vegetarian food in general, particularly my undying devotion to eggplants. Which, frankly, is a love only outdone by my obsession with artichokes! Luckily, I married a man who joins me in the eggplant eating corner so he is always up for whatever I have in store. In this case, I decided to give my favorite Nigella Eggplant Involtini recipe a twist, or, rather, an untwist, and deconstruct it for a great make-ahead dinner. I grilled up the long strips of eggplant, mixed the delicate bulgur wheat/feta/pistachio stuffing and… stopped there.

That’s right, instead of wrapping them up in individual rolls and smothering it in homemade tomato sauce I, instead, layered the eggplant and filling and used store bought marinara. It was not so much that I was worried about my involtini assembly skills, I’ve done it many times, I just was in the mood to try something different. In fact, the whole day had that kind of feel to it. It was already technically Meatless Tuesday so why not just keep on going in a bold! new! direction! The resulting lasagna-ish dish proved tasty and satisfying. We adored the sweet and tangy filling; it was a welcome break from the heavy meats and creamy pastas. Served warm from the oven with a winter salad and sliver of Asiago Cheese Bread from Panera it had all the makings of a cold weather meal. Just the thing to keep us warm and happy while we wait for the spring asparagus to arrive.