Making these kabobs is super simple. Your eggplant pieces will bake in the oven, skin side up. The skin will become roasted and delicious – which is great because you'll be eating it! There are a lot of nutrients in the skin, so it would be a shame to skimp out on them. While your eggplant bakes in the oven, you'll prepare the savory miso glaze. Once most of the baking is done, the glaze gets brushed over the cut sides of the eggplant. And, since we're maximizing surface area, you'll want to make sure you get that glaze everywhere. Seriously, get your Picasso on and make sure you lather all the little nooks and crannies. Be good to this eggplant, and it'll be good to you. A quick final bake in the oven gets the sauce all hot and caramelized. Your kabobs will emerge as well browned bites with a soft, silky interior.

And we haven't even talked about the salad yet! This Asian-inspired kale and seaweed salad is awesome served alongside the glazed eggplant. Or on its own. By seaweed's looks alone, you can probably guess that it's healthy for you. Seaweed is nutrient rich – it's a great source of iodine, calcium, potassium and iron. In this recipe, I use dried Arame seaweed, which are thin seaweed threads. Personally, I find this to be one of the better tasting seaweeds out there. And, it's packed with fiber! Prepping dried Arame seaweed is easy. Give it a quick soak and then boil it in water for 10 minutes. Strain and add to your greens. So easy, right?! Kale isn't the most traditional add-in for a Japanese seaweed salad, but it works – big time. Although sometimes I’m in the mood for straight-up seaweed, more often than not, I much prefer it dispersed among some other greens. This salad delivers just enough seaweed flavor, without overpowering your entire palette.

What I love about this salad is that it's really healthy for you – and doesn't require a bazillion ingredients. Sometimes simplest is best. The salad dressing uses almost all the same ingredients used for the eggplant! So don't be deterred by the ingredients list – they're just doubled up to make the recipe easier to follow.