Mediterranean Eggplant (Aubergine) Casserole |
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Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes |
Ready In: 90 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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This eggplant dish is from the 1 of a Kind cookbook of the Junior League of Mobile, AL. I have not made this yet, but I did modify the recipe & add 2 ingredients I thot were a must to make this a classic dish. Altho the ingredient list appears lengthy, 7 are of the spice variety & the rest are common ingredients w/an easy prep. My best advice is strongly resist any temptation to leave out the cinnamon. Enjoy! Ingredients:
3 medium eggplants (unpeeled & sliced in 1/4 in thick slices) |
3/4 cup olive oil (more as required) |
1 cup onion (chopped) |
1 cup celery (chopped) |
1/2 cup green bell pepper (chopped) |
1 cup fresh tomato (seeded & diced) |
1/2 cup black olives (quartered or sliced) |
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano |
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves |
1/4 teaspoon cumin |
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder |
1/2 teaspoon salt |
1/4 teaspoon black pepper |
1 teaspoon cinnamon |
3 large eggs (beaten) |
1 cup breadcrumbs |
2 tablespoons olive oil |
2 tablespoons dry parmesan cheese (powder variety) |
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare onion, celery, green bell pepper, fresh tomato & black olives in stated quantity as directed & set aside.
3. Slice unpeeled eggplant into 1/4 thick slices. Put olive oil in a saute pan & cook eggplant slices (in batches) till just slightly tender. Remove from pan & set aside.
4. In the same pan, add onion, celery & bell pepper. Saute till crisp-tender.
5. Remove from heat & stir in chopped tomato, black olives, herbs & spices.
6. Place 1/3 of eggplant slices in a 9x13 baking dish. Top with 1/3 of veggie/spice mixture & repeat layering 2 more times. Bake 15 minutes.
7. While casserole is baking, beat eggs & set aside. In a separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp olive oil & Parmesan cheese. Mix well & set aside.
8. At 15 minutes, remove casserole from oven. Drizzle beaten eggs over surface, let them seep into the veggie mixture & move veggies around gently using a fork to aid this process as required.
9. Sprinkle breadcrumb, olive oil & Parmesan cheese mixture evenly over surface & return to oven for 15 min or till breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serve immediately.
10. NOTE: While the recipe did not suggest this, IMO this dish is capable of being expanded to a 1-dish meal w/the addition of your cooked grd meat of choice &/or crumbled feta cheese as another option.
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