italian

Roasted Eggplant & Cherry Tomato Risotto

Roasted Eggplant & Cherry Tomato Risotto

I feel like in this new life where the husband works on the other side of Australia, I’m severely needing to improve the chronicles of Shit I Eat When I’m By Myself. Here you all think I’m a domestic goddess but it’s a lie. Sure a strange sense of satisfaction comes over me when I spray & wipe because I feel like an instant winner of adulthood but mainly I’m just trying to avoid the confectionary aisle (and failing) and avoid having packet mee goreng for dinner, again (and failing, again). What has happened to me!?! I tell you, pregnancy is bringing out the worst in me! I’m all about the shit food that I can’t get enough of. Just call me a walking contradiction already and yell ‘shame’ like they did to Cercei in Game of Thrones. It’s warranted. Except for tonight. Tonight I freakin win because I decided to go against the grain and put eggplant in risotto.

Roasted Eggplant & Cherry Tomato Risotto

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • 1 eggplant cut into small cubes
  • Handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 1/2 cups aborio rice
  • 2 cups white wine – optional
  • 1L chicken or veg stock
  • Chopped parsley to serve
  • Salt & pepper

Method

Start by turning your oven onto 180 then prep your veg (the smaller you cut the eggplant the better). By now your oven should have reached temp so pop the eggplant and cherry tomatoes on a lined baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and some salt then bake for 10 mins.

While that’s in the oven heat a generous glug of olive oil in a large pan, pot or skillet and add your onion and garlic. Turn down the heat and saute this until translucent. Now check on your eggplant. If it’s starting to get golden and soft take them out – if it needs a lil longer, keep them in.

Add your aborio rice to the pan along with the white wine (if you’re not using, just add a little stock) and over a low heat simmer until the liquid has reduced. Now how’s that eggplant coming along? Add the roasted veg to the rice and cover with stock. Stirring gradually, continue to add stock 1 cup at a time…let it reduce… repeat. Until the rice is cooked. You know the drill. The trick here is to taste as you go and keep the heat really low. I mushed the tomato and eggplant a lil here so make it more combined.

Sprinkle with some chopped parsley, season with salt & pepper and call it a #MeatlessMonday success.