mediterranean eggplant and barley salad
I don’t know if the name for this affliction is procrastination–hey, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least, she says, eyeing the sinkful of last night’s dishes–but when I need to get things done, I have this bad habit of doing them either right-that-very-moment or pretty much never. When I return from a vacation, I either get every single thing out of that suitcase and into its proper closet or hamper within twenty minutes, or it sits on the floor of the bedroom for weeks, as it has since we’ve returned from . I return a garment I’ve changed my mind about the very next day, or it sits in a bag, as has a certain Banana Republic blouse, for six (cough, eight) months, my husband looking pointedly at it and then back at me often enough that I just downright ignore that too. Once something leaves my short-term memory, it may as well be lost for good, but in recipes at least, today I am on a rescue mission.
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
Counts 19 of 22 ingredients — the other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and contribute nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume — 19 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Barley | 1 cup cooked (157g) | 193 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Vegetable | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Cherry | 1 cup (138g) | 87 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Red Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Eggplant | 1 cup cubed (82g) | 35 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Cucumber | 1/2 cup sliced (52g) | 16 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Cumin | 1 tsp ground (2.1g) | 8 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Olive | 1 large (4g) | 4 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Coriander | not in our table | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Peppermint | not in our table | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3/4 lb zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup chopped scallion (from 1 bunch)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (note: I used 1/8 tsp. and it was plenty spicy; adjust to taste)
- 1 1/4 cups pearl barley (8 oz)
- 1 (14-oz) can reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (1 3/4 cups)
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 lb cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1/3 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and halved
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, rinsed and drained if desired
- 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint