Salting the eggplant and allow its juice to drain in a colander, removes the bitterness of the eggplant before roasting it, in addition to requiring much less oil for roasting. This is a great summer side dish that complements grilled chicken or fish beautifully. To make it a healthy Mediterranean inspired snack, eat it together with some whole pita.

One of my favorite food combinations of all time, is tomatoes and cheese, be it raw like in a Caprese salad, or in the cooked forms of such as pizza and lasagna. For salads, I love to cook with a low fat Halloumi cheese. It is great because of its unique ability to maintain its shape and form even in high temperatures. This gives it the best of both worlds; it has the great taste of melted cheese, yet it looks elegant on top of a salad or even on a skewer! This salad can be a beautiful appetizer for entertaining that does not require lots of effort, or just an enjoyable meal for the family. I actually skewered the tomatoes, mushrooms, and halloumi cheese and laid them over a bed of lettuce for a more elegant display, but you can also just mix them in with lettuce and serve it like a regular salad. ~ Charna Sheinfeld, Nutrition Intern