Summertime Delights

This blog is dedicated to finding my spark and the little things in life that bring us joy. I really enjoy cooking. Over the years I've become a little more confident and adventurous in the kitchen, and cooking has been something that my husband and I enjoy doing together, much like my parents always enjoy cooking side by side. And, my hubby has come a long way. I'm talking, when we met 5 years ago the boy did not have salt and pepper in his pantry. Yep. He's come a long way. :)

I am a girl who has never met a fruit or vegetable that I didn't like. My students asked me this year if I was a vegetarian because I am always going on and on about how I love "that healthy stuff". I am not a vegetarian, but some days I think I could be. Summertime is one of my favorite times to cook because of all of the incredible produce that's in season. Needless to say, I haven't felt much like cooking over the past 6 weeks. I decided in an effort to seek that spark, I should give it another go in the kitchen.

So, that brings me to today's post. In Savannah, we went to this ah-mazing restaurant called Cha Bella. On the menu I saw a salad that was right up my ally and I knew I had to try it. It was made from heirloom tomatoes, mixed greens, roasted eggplant, and, here's the topper, a fried goat cheese medallion. So simple yet so delicious.

Last night I thought I'd try to recreate that yummy salad. I have to say, it was a success! Give it a try for yourself. You won't be disappointed!

Cha Bella Salad

Ingredients: 

Organic mixed greens

Organic heirloom tomatoes

1 medium sized eggplant

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Goat Cheese medallions (1 per salad)

Breadcrumbs

Egg Whites (to bind breadcrumbs)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice eggplant (see picture below) about 1/4 inch thickness. I decided to throw a few tomatoes on the sheet as well for an added twist. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Place in oven for about 20 minutes.

Here are the veggies before roasting:

Meanwhile, prepare goat cheese medallions by dipping into egg whites, then coating in the breadcrumbs. (Note to self: Why didn't I take a picture of this step?!)

I didn't "fry" the goat cheese, though I'm sure it would be tasty if you preferred that!

Heat a skillet (I used non-stick) to medium-high heat. Place the medallions on the skillet and flip {gently!} with a spatula after about 2 minutes. They should be browned but not burnt. Continue to flip until each side is browned.

To put it all together on a plate, top a bed of mixed greens with a handful of heirloom tomatoes. Remove eggplant from oven, top greens with a few slices of eggplant, a few roasted heirlooms and a goat cheese medallion. Voila!

The finished product:

Let me know what you think!