Food Adventures: Skinny Bitch and some Roasted Eggplant

3 weeks and counting and Skinny Bitch has still managed to scare the living, or rather dead, meat out of my house, out of my mind, out of my hand, and most importantly out of my mouth.  They call it "The Dead, Rotting Decomposing Flesh Diet" (vom.) because essentially that's what we're putting into our mouths- ANIMALS THAT HAVE BEEN DEAD FOR POSSIBLY WEEKS.
I know. I know. But take it from a girl who has always loved a good steak and southern pork BBQ.  Case in point, me, busted stuffing dead cow in my mouth at my brother's going away party last year.  Attractive, right?

The co-authors, who also go on about being vegan, aren't near as crazy as you may think.  Facts are facts, and sadly enough, animals don't go from frolicking carefree on vast green meadows to neatly packaged at your local grocery store.  There's an in-between that has caused this meatless trauma and if you don't want to know what that in-between is, stop reading here. 
"I've seen live animals shackled, hoisted, stuck, and skinned.  I've seen hogs that are supposed to be lying down on the bleeding conveyor get up after they've been stuck.  I've seen them in the scalding tubs (meant to burn their skin off) trying to swim."
 "I've drug cows till their bones start breaking, while they were still alive.  Bringing them around the corner and they get stuck up in the doorway, just pull them till their hide be ripped, till the blood just drip on the steel and concrete.  Breaking their legs...And the cow be crying with its tongue stuck out.  They pull him till his neck just pop."
"If you get a hog in a chute that's had the shit prodded out of him and has a heart attack or refuses to move, you take a meat hook and hook it into his bunghole.  You're dragging these hogs alive, and a lot of times the meat hook rips out of the bunghole.  I've seen hams-thighs-completely ripped open."
Who's ready for some Eggplant?! 

So, not the best segue into my latest food adventure, but you are what you eat, and I'd rather be an organic eggplant or a cute as a button cherry tomato than a rotting, dead animal.  Especially a dead animal that used to be a poor little baby that was separated from its family then beaten, tortured, and ultimately slaughtered.  With that said...
Garlic and Herb Roasted Eggplant with Cherry Tomatoes!

{Image: My Own, Recipe via}

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant (or 2-3 small ones), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 8-10 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
• About 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• About 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.
In a large bowl, toss the eggplant with enough of the olive oil to thoroughly coat. Place the eggplant onto a baking sheet and put into the preheated oven.
In the same bowl, toss the whole garlic cloves with a few drops of oil. After the eggplant has been roasting for about 20 minutes, add the garlic cloves into the mix. Continue to roast until both are tender, about 20 minutes.
When the eggplant is tender, give it a stir and add in the tomatoes. Continue to roast for about 10 more minutes, or until the eggplant begins to caramelize and the tomatoes soften. Remove the vegetables from the oven and set aside to cool.
When they are cool enough to handle, remove the garlic cloves and chop into small pieces (the texture will be almost puree-like).
Place the roasted garlic, eggplant and tomatoes and any juices that came out while roasting into a bowl (if you use the same bowl you used for prepping the vegetables, you get the benefit of the remaining olive oil and have fewer dishes to do).
Add the parsley, dill and just enough vinegar to coat. Mix and serve while still warm. Enjoy!