Middle Eastern Eggplant Salad

I'm slowly venturing into my own uncharted territory of eating eggplants. I don't know if it's my unfamiliarity with the squash or previous negative experiences but I fear eating eggplant. So...this middle eastern eggplant salad was a giant leap for me. Yum! I'm glad I took this jump. This salad is easy to make and surprisingly kid friendly seeing as my kids ate it up.

Middle Eastern Eggplant Salad

2 medium red bell peppers
1 medium tomato, peeled and seeded
3 Tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
Dash of ground red pepper
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat broiler.
Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 12 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and chop.
Place tomato in a blender; process until smooth. Combine tomato puree, tomato paste, 2 Tablespoons water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, ground red pepper, and garlic in a blender; process until smooth.
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add eggplant; cook 30 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in bell pepper and tomato mixture. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper.

Who Dished it first? Cooking Light, July 2009