Roasted Eggplant over Freekeh

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and dry all produce. In a medium sauce pan gently toast the cumin over low heat until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same medium sauce pan, add freekeh and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover to cook for 20-25 minutes or until all water is absorbed.

Slice eggplants in half lengthwise. Brush with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Place sliced side down on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until flesh is soft and golden brown.

Remove mint leaves from stems and gently rip into small pieces. Remove parsley from stems and roughly chop. Cut the pomegranate in half. To remove seeds, hold one half flat-size down over a plate, and hit the rind side of the fruit with the flat of a knife or a spoon until the seeds fall out. Repeat with second half. To get the remaining seeds out, work through the flesh with your fingers; submerging the pomegranate in a bowl of water will make this easier. Next, cut the lemon into 4 wedges.

In a small bowl, mix together Tofutti sour cream, toasted cumin and tahini, season with salt and pepper.

When freekeh is cooked, fluff with a fork and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in mint and parsley.

To serve, place one cup of herbed freekeh on a plate atop a portion of eggplant. Top with spiced cumin-tahini cream and pomegranate seeds. Serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy!