Raven's Rendition of Sauteed Beef and Roasted Eggplant

Raven's Rendition of Sauteed Beef and Roasted Eggplant

    Another variation originated from a Blue Apron recipe, this dish is an absolute favorite in our home and we keep dried figs in the house year round just so we can make this whenever we wish because we simply adore the flavors and satiety of this meal.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Minutes to Cook: 25-35 minutes
Number of Servings: 2
Ingredients
10 oz thinly sliced beef
2/3 cup whole grain basmati rice
2 oz spinach
1 eggplant
1 red onion
1 1/2 oz dried figs
1 tbsp honey
2 tsps spice blend
1 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

1. Prep begins with bringing the honey to room temperature if you store it in the fridge, and preheating your oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and dry all the veggies, and then cut the eggplant lengthwise, then slice crosswise into 1/4 inch pieces.  Peel and slice the onion into thin slices.  Roughly chop the figs, and then stick them into a bowl with the vinegar and 1/4 cup of warm water. Set the mixture aside to hydrate the figs, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes.

2.  While the figs soak, place the eggplant on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Toss to coat and arrange on a sheet pan that has been covered in parchment paper. Roast in oven for 14 minutes or until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and set aside.

3. While the eggplant cooks, in a small pot combine the rice and spices with a pinch of sea salt and 1 1/3 cups of water. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and fluff the cooked rice with a fork. Stir in the figs, and season with sea salt/pepper to taste.

4.  Separate the sliced beef; pat dry with paper towels and season with sea salt and pepper. In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium heat until hot. Add the seasoned beef and cook, without stirring, 1  to 2 minutes, or until browned. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute or until just cooked through. Leave any meat/juice bits behind in the pan and transfer the beef to a place.

5. Toss the onion into the pan of reserved fond. Sea salt and pepper to taste. Cook on medium heat, stirring slightly, until the onions are translucent. Add the spinach and honey, season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently until the spinach has wilted. Add the cooked beef and roasted eggplant; cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined and heated through. Turn off the heat. Divide the cooked rice between two dishes, top with the beef and veggie mixture and voila!

This is one of my babe's specialties, and one we both eagerly agree to cook whenever either mentions wanting it. We try to grab figs when we can find them at the store and hang onto them so that we can make this dish throughout the year. For container counts, this would equate to one red, one yellow, one green, 1/2 purple, and 3 tsp. Let me know if you whip this meal for 2 up in your own witchen, and how it turned out by commenting below, and shine on!