Spicy Peanut Eggplant Stew

Last week I had some eggplants on hand and felt like making something warm and comforting. Most probably because I was getting sick. I decided upon this recipe, but made some minor changes as I didn't have all the ingredients on hand. I used to be really anal about having every single ingredient while cooking, but I've learned it's okay to use what you have. Sometimes the recipe turns out even better. 

The first photo with my new camera!

My changes to the recipe: 
I didn't have shallots, so I left those out. And I used almond butter instead of peanut butter. Although my version turned out just fine, I would recommend the peanut butter if you do have it on hand. It works better with the eggplant. I also used frozen green peas instead of fresh green beans, which turned out just fine. Finally, I added chopped parsley instead of cilantro as its hard to find cilantro here in Istanbul and I wasn't about to leave the house just for that. I served it with black quinoa and a dollop of yogurt and I think it turned out quite nice. 




Also, I finally got my new camera and am so excited to start using it for this blog. Once I figure out how to use it, that is...