Juliet Freudman, iEG contributor

As a college student, I’m constantly looking for ways to shake up my meals with few ingredients, simple instructions and a delicious outcome. I found this eggplant caponata on Spoon University, and I’m obsessed.

After my dispersed travels to Italy that added to almost four weeks in the food-lover’s paradise last year, I can’t help but dream of the juicy tomatoes, flavorful olive oil and warm, fresh breads. If you’re like me and wish you could hop on a flight to a foreign country, then food can be the next best option to transport you there! Trust me with this one.

Eggplant Caponata

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes |Servings: 5

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 jar capers, drained
• Olive oil
• bread, toasted

Directions:

1. In an oiled pan over a medium heat, cook eggplant about 8 minutes until soft.
2. Remove eggplant from the heat and set aside. Re-oil the pan and add onion and celery. Cook until soft, about 7 minutes.
3. Add in tomatoes, cook another 3 minutes.
4. Set veggies aside. In the same pan, add red wine vinegar and sugar and cook until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
5. Add capers and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Add vegetables back into the pan and cool until vinegar mixture dissolves into the vegetables.
7. Transfer caponata dish into a bowl and add diced avocado.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Serve with crusty bread or on its own, as a side dish or appetizer.

Now close your eyes, sip your vino rosso and believe you’re in the Italian countryside.

Juliet Freudman is a freshman at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism who can be found eating chocolate when she’s not dreaming of Paris!