Eggplant, Mushrooms, Cherry Tomato Sautee with Israeli Couscous

I'm averaging one blog post a month...man am I a bad blogger or what?! Well at least I saved up all my writing juices for this next recipe. It's a doozy! I thought up this recipe as I was groovin' to some summer jams for a road trip play list I was putting together. I'm prepping for my journey up north this coming Wednesday. One of my dearest friends from high school is drinking the kool aid and getting hitched! I'm so psyched for all the festivities and to be a part of her big day. Congrats Jen and Scott!! Then to top it all off I'm spending a week at home lounging at the beach, going on the boat, and hitting up all the North Fork vineyards have to offer. I CANNOT WAIT!! So I thought I would leave you with this scrumptiously fresh recipe that will definitely be seen in my kitchen again. If you're lucky I may even blog from the beach with a seafood recipe. We'll just see how ambitious I am :) I couldn't think of a good name, so the ingredients will just have to speak for themselves!

Eggplant, Mushrooms, Cherry Tomato Sautee with
 Israeli Couscous, Pine Nuts, and Goat Cheese 
1 small eggplant, cubed
1 small red onion, sliced
3/4 cup white mushrooms, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatos, halved
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted*
1 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp. basil, chopped
1 cup Israeli couscous (prepared using directions on the box)
Salt and Pepper to taste

*To toast pine nuts, add nuts to a dry saute pan over medium high heat. Toast for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Be sure to stir to avoid burning.

In a large saute pan, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium high heat. Add red onions cooking for 2-3 minutes, season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add eggplant and mushrooms cooking for an additional 5 minutes (they should be nice and caramelized with a beautiful golden brown crust). Add cherry tomatoes and garlic, cooking until tomatoes are heated through. Serve vegetables over couscous garnished with a sprinkle of goat cheese, a sprinkle of pine nuts, and basil.

This has the perfect combination of textures, smooth and velvety from the couscous and cheese, crunch from the pine nuts and the fresh hit you get from the basil tops it all off. If you don't have israeli couscous on hand orzo, acini di pepe, or any small pasta would work great. I usually can find israeli (aka pearl) couscous in the international foods section at my grocery store. I had this as my main entree but it would go great as a side dish to steak or a nice meaty fish. I think the key to this dish is the fresh ingredients from the farmer's market. You can't beat the produce mid summer at your local market. This summer is shaping up to be the best yet. Let's enjoy it while it lasts...fall will be here before we know it!