Grilled Eggplant + Goat Cheese Salad

Still on my salad kick...I have another good one for you!  We bought some eggplant at the local Farmer's Market because they looked so good.  Then I realized...I have NO idea what to do with eggplant.  Enter this salad.  The eggplant substitutes the meat but it super hearty and tasty.  And really, if you add goat cheese, all tastes good in my book.

Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

7 Japanese eggplant, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch wide slices

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

1/3 cup basil, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Handful lettuce of your choice

Method

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the olive oil over the slices of eggplant and toss to coat. Grill the eggplants until tender and grill marks appear, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Place the eggplants over a bed of lettuce. Sprinkle with the pine nuts, goat cheese, tomatoes and basil. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Have you cooked with eggplant before?  What's your favorite recipe?

xo natasha