after-work dinner/simultaneous lunch prep

I'm not going to bother adding a picture because this recipe, while tasty, is not much to look at. After the pizza party documented below I was left with a bunch of eggplant, pasta sauce, and mozzarella. So, I created the following lazy, but healthy and flavorful "eggplant parmesan rice casserole."

1 small (1 1/4 lb) eggplant, chopped into 1-inch cubes
1/3 c. short grain brown rice
1/3 c. basil tomato sauce
1 oz. mozzarella (I've been using vegan mozzie and it's pretty good)
Red pepper flakes to taste

Toss the rice in a rice cooker for 1 round till the button pops (about 15 minutes). Brown rice takes a while, so I like to get it cooked al dente before I add the other ingredients.

When the rice is mostly cooked but still a bit chewy, place the eggplant in the rice cooker. Add a couple of tablespoons of h2o at this point if the rice is starting to stick; the eggplant has plenty of moisture (don't drain it!) so it'll keep the rice from drying out once it starts steaming.

Open the cooker every few minutes to toss the rice and eggplant. When the eggplant starts to soften add the tomato sauce. Cook until the eggplant is soft but not disintegrating. Dump the whole thing in a bowl, toss with mozzie and pepper, and enjoy!

The best part of this is that the rice cooker method gives you plenty of down time. I use these moments to clear up my kitchen, to bake, and (most often) to prepare ingredients for my next day's lunch. Lately I've been broiling tofu (I cut a block into 32 slices - about 3/4" x 1 1/2" x 1/4" each) and tossing it in a salad with mixed greens, papaya, lime juice, and cumin. It's low calorie, full of protein, and it travels well to work. Suggestions for variations welcome!