Prep time: 30 minutes. Cook time: 45 minutes Servings: 8
Eggplant is a popular food in the Middle East, where it is often mixed with ground meat and tomatoes. Scramble recipe tester Debby Boltman said, “I didn't know I could like eggplant until I tried this dish!” If your kids won't eat the eggplant, they will likely enjoy the meat sauce scooped up with the pita bread. Serve it with a Persian green salad with chickpeas and mint.
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 lb. ground turkey, beef, lamb, or vegetarian ground meat
- 1 tsp. minced garlic, (about 2 cloves)
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/3-inch rounds OR sub zucchini
- 28-30 oz. tomato sauce
- 8 oz. hummus or baba gannoush, for serving (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a large round (about 2-quart) casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the onions until they are lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Add the meat and garlic and brown the meat, breaking it up with the spatula. Add the cinnamon, salt and pepper and cook it for 2 - 3 more minutes.
- Lay half the eggplant slices in the bottom of the casserole dish. Put half of the onion-meat mixture on top of the eggplant, and then pour half the tomato sauce over everything.
- Put the remaining eggplant slices on top of the sauce. Top it with the remaining meat mixture and the remaining tomato sauce. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake it for 45 minutes, until the eggplant is very soft. (Meanwhile, prepare the salad, if you are serving it.) Uncover it and allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving. You can refrigerate it for up to 2 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Top it with hummus or baba gannoush at the table, if desired. [what?!]
Do Ahead or Delegate: Chop the onion, peel the garlic, measure and combine the cinnamon, salt and black pepper, slice the eggplant.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Double the cinnamon and serve it with hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco.
Tip:
While best known as a Mediterranean dish with eggplant and meat, Moussaka has other variations that call for sliced zucchini, potatoes or a combination of vegetables. You can also add cheese to Moussaka if you want a slightly richer finished product.
tags: CSA
source: SOS The Six O'Clock Scramble to the Rescue by Aviva Goldfarb
Ingredients for side dish - PERSIAN GREEN SALAD WITH CHICKPEAS AND MINT
- 1 small head romaine lettuce (s)
- 1/4- 1/2 cups fresh mint, coarsely chopped (s)
- 1 cucumber, peeled and diced (s)
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (s)
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (s)
- 1 tomato (s)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (s)
- 1/2 lemon (s)
- 1/2 tsp. honey (s)
In a large bowl, combine first ingredient set. In a large measuring cup, whisk together second ingredient set. Toss the salad with the dressing just before serving.