Eggplant, Oyster Mushroom & Bean Ratatouille

This is a nice recipe for a weekday dinner and is great for meatless Mondays or Fridays. It's on the table in less than an hour and is a good wholesome meal, especially when paired with a brown rice medley and a side green salad to start the meal. A good ratatouille is always great to have in the fridge for leftovers, especially for those nights when you want a good homemade meal for dinner, without the effort. Enjoy!

• 1 pound Chinese eggplant, about 5
• 2 1/2 cups good marinara sauce*
• 3 1/2 oz. oyster mushrooms, bottoms trimmed and bunches broken up
• 1 cup cooked Great Northern beans, cannellini beans or small white beans
• olive oil
• sea salt
• ground black pepper

Cut each eggplant in half, lengthwise and drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt. Grill the eggplant at 500 degrees, a few minutes per each side, until there are some grill marks on them. Once they are grilled, slice them diagonally about an inch in size. Combine the eggplant and sauce in a heavy bottomed pot so the eggplant are in one layer. Bring the sauce up to a boil on high heat, once it does, lower the heat to a low setting and simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Stir occasionally. Add in the beans and mushrooms and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve with brown rice on the side to complete the meal. Makes 4 servings. Double the recipe as needed.

*Make sure it states gluten-free on the jar, if gluten is a concern of yours.