This is a dish I discovered online a while ago (really can’t remember where!) and that I adapted to my husband’s and my tasted over the years.
For those of you who don’t eat meat (and you are right not to!) the meat can be replaced by cooked and drained lentils or soy protein for example. I did a lentil version once for a team lunch, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.
INGREDIENTS
2 Eggplants
350g of minced Beef (5% fat) – Alternative: Cooked & Drained Lentils
200g Feta Cheese
1 Small Can of Peeled Tomatoes (400g)
1 Freshly Minced Red Onion
Fresh Mint
Fresh Parsley (or coriander if you ran out of parsley)
3-5 Cloves of Freshly Minced Garlic
Curcuma
Piment d’Espelette (or chilly powder. Basically something spicy)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
STEPS
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Cut Eggplants in half horizontally and season with olive oil and salt on white side.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25min. Note: eggplants are the only vegetables I know you CANNOT overcook!
- While eggplants are baking, fry 3/4 of the onion in a little olive oil in a small pan, add curcuma and chilly powder and cook until onions are translucent. Add the can of tomatoes and let cook for 15min.
- Season with fresh mint, salt, and pepper at the end of cooking.
- Fry minced meat in a bit of olive oil, add the remaining onions until everything gets a nice brown coloration. Add Parsley (or coriander) and half of the Feta cheese as well as the garlic.
- Season with pepper and (a little) salt (feta is salty already!)
- Poor the Tomato sauce into a baking pan, add the Eggplants next to each other witch white side up.
- Fill with meat preparation and use the remaining half Feta cheese to finish.
- Add some olive oil and pepper on top and bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 30min.This dish can be wonderfully combined with a refreshing Tzasiki (my favorite recipe will follow another day) and a nice chilled Bandol Rosé.
- If not, a Diet Coke will also work. (Insiders only will get this comment)
Main Dish for 4 People
Enjoy and of course Guten Appetit!
Posted By : Michael / Content, Bespoke / Paris, France