While great barbecue usually consists of (admittedly delicious) red meat and a fairly mayo-heavy macaroni salad, there are still some healthier options for those who love firing up the grill but want to try something different. For example, this recipe for grilled eggplant with a Manuka honey-lemon drizzle is definitely a safe bet for new and exciting things you’ll want to keep close!

Nothing like the flavorless, bland stereotypes we all fear healthier food tastes like, this dish provides much to keep your taste buds happy, using lemon, herbs like parsley and mint, cumin, and much more to a perfect degree. Requiring less than an hour to get everything ready, this meal will have any of your meat purist friends wanting a taste!

Ingredients for Grilled Eggplant with a Honey-Lemon Drizzle

Quinoa Relish

1 cucumber, seeds removed, diced
3⁄4 cup of white quinoa
12 cherry tomatoes, cut into fourths
2 green onions, thinly sliced, halved
1⁄2 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
1⁄4 cup of fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp of olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
1 tsp of lemon zest

Grilled Eggplant

4 eggplants, small
1⁄4 cup of canola oil
1⁄2 tsp of ground cumin
Pepper and salt
1⁄4 cup of Manuka honey
Juice from 1 lemon
1 tsp of lemon zest

Directions for Grilled Eggplant with a Honey-Lemon Drizzle

Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 20 minutes. Servings: Eight.
To begin, cook the quinoa as per your package’s directions. When it is ready, fluff the quinoa with a fork before spreading it to cool.
For the quinoa relish, combine the required ingredients, mixing well in a large-enough bowl. Afterward, cover the relish and refrigerate.
For the eggplants, preheat your grill up to high. Cut off the tops of the eggplants and then cut each one into halves lengthwise, scoring each cut side with a crosshatch pattern and going roughly half an inch deep.
Brush oil onto both sides of the eggplants. Season the fleshy sides with a blend of pepper, salt, and cumin. Set each eggplant on the grill with the fleshy sides down, cooking until they are charred golden brown. This should take three or four minutes. Repeat with the other sides.
Finally, serve your eggplants, cut sides up, with the quinoa. Whisk the Manuka honey, the lemon zest, and the lemon juice together before drizzling it over the top. Enjoy your grilled eggplant with Manuka honey-lemon drizzle!
Per serving nutritional value: 503 calories; 14g fat; 84g carbs; 15g protein.