A purple package of great taste

I had half of an eggplant sitting in the fridge from a meal I made yesterday. Not enough to make a yummy Baba Ghanoush dip or Eggplant Parmigiana. I couldn’t toss it. I was raised not to waste food.
Eggplants are from the nightshade family, which means they are closely related to tomatoes and potatoes. They are native to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India.
The fruit is botanically classified as a berry, and contains numerous small, soft seeds, which are edible, but are bitter because they contain (an insignificant amount of) nicotinoids, unsurprising as it is a close relative of tobacco. Eating large amounts of eggplant is not a way to wean yourself off of cigarettes, however. On average, 20 pounds of eggplant contains about the same amount of nicotine as a cigarette. (If you smoke a pack a day, you’d have to eat 400 pounds of eggplant to get the same effect.)
Eggplant does help block the formation of free radicals and is also a source of folic acid and potassium.
Part Melenzana Ali Olio appetizer and part stew, this quick meal is tasty and hearty enough to be a main dish with a hunk of crusty bread or a side dish with your favorite meal. This is one you can share with the carnivores.

Quick Eggplant Stew

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ eggplant, peel and cut into one inch squares
1 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
½ cup broccoli florettes
1 small tomato, diced
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Mozzarella cheese, grated

· Heat olive oil in a medium skillet and melt butter in it.
· Add garlic. Cook until it just begins to brown.
· Add eggplant, mushroom, broccoli and tomato. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the veggies are softened.
· Sprinkle with cheese and melt under the broiler until it begins to melt.

Vegetarian (can be made vegan by using a butter substitute and soy cheese)