Recipe: Quinoa Salad with Shrimp and Eggplant

I used black eggplant, but if I'd used purple Asian eggplant, there would have been no need to remove a portion of the skin. In my experience cooking Michigan-grown eggplant, I've found the long purplish Asian varietals more tender than the black-skinned ones.

Yield 3-4 servings
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound raw medium shrimp, (thawed if frozen) deveined and shelled
• 6 small (approx. 3-inch length) eggplant,striped with a vegetable peeler* and cut into coins
• Juice from 1 lemon (2 tablespoons)
• 3/4 cup torn mint leaves

Directions

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté shrimp on both sides until just cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove and reserve. Add additional 2 tablespoons of oil to pan and cook eggplant over medium heat until tender, 3-6 minutes depending on eggplant varietal.
3. Make a vinaigrette by whisking together remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice. Toss with quinoa, shrimp, eggplant and mint. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

 This recipe was written by Peggy Lampman and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on Aug. 17, 2011.