Eggplant Kale Penne

It's funny how much things have changed over the past year.  One of our staple dinners has become Eggplant Kale Penne.  I learned about this meal through following my clean eating meal plan, and as I was brain storming how to tell you about this dinner, I went back though my old posts and found the first time I made Eggplant Kale Penne, on Day 13.

 

The difference between Julie Chickpea Future Jordan and the Julie Chickpea of Day 13 is tremendous.  First of all, I don't bother to look at the recipe anymore, so all the beef I had with the clean eating editors is long forgotten.  But now that I'm thinking about it, they really should have done a better job editing their cookbook.  Page numbers seem like a simple enough thing to check and fix.  Anyway, since Julie Chickpea Future Jordan doesn't follow the recipe anymore, the issue with ingredient quantity and portion size are nonexistent.  I make my own rules now.  So, here are my new rules/recipe:

Before starting, buy:

• 1 eggplant or two, depending on the size of the eggplant and the size of the people you are feeding
• whole wheat pasta of choice (2 oz uncooked per person)
• 1 package feta cheese
• 1 jar natural tomato sauce (optional)
• pine nuts
• 1 bag kale.  This is what we get:

So here's how you make it:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Make pasta.
2. Preheat oven to 400.  Chop 1 large eggplant into 1-inch cubes.  Yes, some of them will be triangles.  That's okay. Lighten up a bit, you're just going to eat it.  Line a tray with foil and spread cubes  evenly over the tray, adding a little bit of oil and some salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the little eggplant cubes half way through.
3. In a large wok/frying pan, add kale.  If you have a small wok, cook the Kale in shifts.  Keep the heat on medium and stir frequently.  Season to taste.  We use garlic salt.  The entire bag should cut up in less than 5 minutes. 
4. Plate the pasta, add eggplant and kale, sprinkle with pine nuts and feta cheese.  Then, if you're MJ, add tomato sauce.

Something that hasn't changed this past year?  MJ is still pretty much Slowpoke Rodriguez.