Post by Amani on Jul 21, 2011 1:51:11 GMT -5
"Split Tummies'' (Meat-Stuffed Eggplant)
In this dish from Syria and Turkey, plump fried eggplants are pried open and filled with spiced ground meat. Adapted from "The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean,'' by Paula Wolfert (HarperCollins, 1994).
* 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/4 cup pine nuts
* 6 ounces lean ground beef, lamb or turkey
* 1 small onion, grated
* 2 tablespoons water
* 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
* Pinch ground cloves
* Pinch nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon tomato paste
* 1/4 cup chopped parsley
* Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
* Eggplant and Sauce
* 12 small eggplants (about 2 pounds total), each about 4 1/2 inches long
* 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
* Salt to taste
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 small bay leaf
* 2 teaspoons minced garlic
* 2 teaspoons minced green chile
* 1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
* 2 teaspoons tomato paste, dissolved in 1/2 cup water
* Freshly ground pepper to taste
* Pinch sugar
* 1 large ripe tomato, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
* 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1. The filling: Heat oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add pine nuts; cook, stirring, until golden brown. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Add meat; cook, breaking it up with a fork, until it loses its pink color, 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and water; saute for 2 minutes. Add spices, tomato paste, parsley, pine nuts and salt and pepper. Let cool.
2. For the eggplants: Using a vegetable peeler, remove three
3. 1/2-inch-wide strips of peel lengthwise from each eggplant. Heat 3/4 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add 6 eggplants; season with salt. Cover and cook, turning occasionally, until eggplants are tender and browned on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Repeat, using 3/4 tablespoon olive oil and remaining eggplants. The sauce: Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet, then add onion, bay leaf, garlic, chile and bell pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add tomato paste/water; cook for 1 minute longer. Season with salt, pepper and sugar.
4. Using your fingers, pry open each eggplant on one side to make a cavity for the filling. Divide filling among eggplants.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread pepper sauce evenly in a baking dish just large enough to hold eggplants in a single layer. Top with eggplants, arranging them side by side. Top with tomato slices. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Serve warm with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.
Serves 4.
Nutrition Information:
PER SERVING: 370 calories, 16 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 26 g fat (5 g saturated), 31 mg cholesterol, 48 mg sodium, 10 g fiber.
In this dish from Syria and Turkey, plump fried eggplants are pried open and filled with spiced ground meat. Adapted from "The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean,'' by Paula Wolfert (HarperCollins, 1994).
* 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/4 cup pine nuts
* 6 ounces lean ground beef, lamb or turkey
* 1 small onion, grated
* 2 tablespoons water
* 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
* Pinch ground cloves
* Pinch nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon tomato paste
* 1/4 cup chopped parsley
* Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
* Eggplant and Sauce
* 12 small eggplants (about 2 pounds total), each about 4 1/2 inches long
* 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
* Salt to taste
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 small bay leaf
* 2 teaspoons minced garlic
* 2 teaspoons minced green chile
* 1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
* 2 teaspoons tomato paste, dissolved in 1/2 cup water
* Freshly ground pepper to taste
* Pinch sugar
* 1 large ripe tomato, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
* 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1. The filling: Heat oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add pine nuts; cook, stirring, until golden brown. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Add meat; cook, breaking it up with a fork, until it loses its pink color, 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and water; saute for 2 minutes. Add spices, tomato paste, parsley, pine nuts and salt and pepper. Let cool.
2. For the eggplants: Using a vegetable peeler, remove three
3. 1/2-inch-wide strips of peel lengthwise from each eggplant. Heat 3/4 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add 6 eggplants; season with salt. Cover and cook, turning occasionally, until eggplants are tender and browned on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Repeat, using 3/4 tablespoon olive oil and remaining eggplants. The sauce: Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet, then add onion, bay leaf, garlic, chile and bell pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add tomato paste/water; cook for 1 minute longer. Season with salt, pepper and sugar.
4. Using your fingers, pry open each eggplant on one side to make a cavity for the filling. Divide filling among eggplants.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread pepper sauce evenly in a baking dish just large enough to hold eggplants in a single layer. Top with eggplants, arranging them side by side. Top with tomato slices. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Serve warm with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.
Serves 4.
Nutrition Information:
PER SERVING: 370 calories, 16 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 26 g fat (5 g saturated), 31 mg cholesterol, 48 mg sodium, 10 g fiber.