My husband, Cam, loves to cook. He is an inspiration to me. I have never met a man more interested in the kitchen, except maybe my dad, whose food I never ate just because he would choose the most boring ingredients and was just “ok” in the kitchen. I am not a picky eater, and if I like it, I like it, but I will taste anything. I’ve never had an eggplant before I met Cam, and he cooked it in his own way and I was hooked. I had it for dinner for several nights in a row.

Cam doesn’t measure anything. His version has either peas and carrots or sometimes green beans and sweet potatoes. It’s hard to believe that this is a dish he made up. You have to be clever to come up with this!

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped mint
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup chopped pepitas

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut eggplant into 1/2-inch thick slices.
3. In a large bowl, mix together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt and pepper.
4. Add eggplant slices and toss to coat.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
6. Place eggplant slices on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and top each slice with a variety of chopped herbs, nuts and seeds.
8. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until eggplant is fork tender.