Eggplant, red pepper and walnut sauté with mint tahini sauce

A delicious, very flavorful eggplant recipe that can be served either as an appetizer, or a side dish. To make it a meal on its own, serve it with pita bread, olives and tabbouleh.

Ingredients (serves 4)

- 1 medium size eggplant, cut into 2 cm dice

- 2 red peppers, cut into 2 cm dice

- 1/2 cup walnuts

- 1 onion, minced

- 3 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat of the knife and minced

- 5-6 Tablespoons extra virgin oil

- 1 teaspoon rosemary

- 1 Tablespoon oregano

- a handful fresh parsley, chopped

- 2 Tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar

- sea salt and pepper, to taste

For the mint tahini sauce

- 1/2 cup tahini (ground sesame paste)

- 1 lemon, juiced 
- 2 garlic cloves (or less if very pungent)
- a few tablespoons of water

- 1 Tablespoon mint

- sea salt, to taste 

Prepare the tahini sauce by mixing the tahini with the lemon juice and salt. Gradually add in a tablespoon of water at a time, until you reach the consistency you prefer, then add in the garlic and mint. Taste and, if needed, add more lemon, garlic or salt.

In a heavy bottom pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions with the garlic until translucent, add the eggplant, red pepper, rosemary and oregano, higher the heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 7 minutes. Add the walnuts and continue cooking until eggplant is tender (try it to make sure it is completely cooked). Deglaze the pan with the balsamic, season with the salt and pepper and make sure to scrape any bits that have stuck on the bottom of the pan, they're the best part! Remove from heat, add the fresh parsley and drizzle with some tahini sauce. Enjoy!