Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Stew

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Chop eggplant into bite-sized pieces. Peel and chop onion. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Roughly chop parsley.

2. Place cut eggplant into a baking dish and drizzle with half of the olive oil and season with salt. Cook in oven for 40 minutes, until soft.

3. Place water and rice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer rice for 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender.

4. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm until needed.

5. In the meantime, heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

6. Add the onion and garlic, season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes until soft.

7. Add in Italian seasoning and tomato paste, cook for another 2 minutes.

8. Next, add in the diced tomatoes, vinegar, chickpeas, and cherry tomatoes. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and continue simmering until the eggplant is ready.

9. Once the eggplant is soft, add into the tomato mixture and stir well. Serve over rice, topped with parsley.