Monday, May 3, 2010

Lebanese Eggplant Casserole (Level 1)

A friend came by with some eggplants so I reprised an old favorite I hadn't made for a LONG time. This one is special, the flavors blend together nicely.

Lebanese Eggplant Casserole (Level 1)

1 large eggplant (about 2 pounds)
Salt
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions
1 pound ground lamb
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 28 ounce can of chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon salt
pepper
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3 tablespoons butter



I used two 1 pound eggplants this time for nice sized rounds.

Slice the eggplant. Lay the slices out on a large platter and sprinkle with salt.



Don't be shy with the salt. You wipe it off later.

Let sit for about 1/2 hour then drain off any water.



This is after 15 minutes. You can see they give off a lot of water!

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Chop the onions.



I used ground beef this time because lamb was 3 times the price.

Add the meat and onions to the pan and brown. Add the garlic, cook for another 2 minutes and drain.



In a medium sized bowl combine the tomatoes, cinnamon, salt, pepper to taste, and cloves.



Butter a casserole dish. Layer half the meat mixture, eggplant, tomato mixture. Repeat.



Cover and bake in 450 oven for 1 hour.



Serve and enjoy!



And here is an uninterrupted copy of the recipe.

Lebanese Eggplant Casserole (Level 1)

1 large eggplant (about 2 pounds)
Salt
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions
1 pound ground lamb
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 22 ounce can of chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon salt
pepper
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3 tablespoons butter

Slice the eggplant. Lay the slices out on a large platter and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for about 1/2 hour then drain off any water.

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Chop the onions. Add the meat and onions to the pan and brown. Add the garlic, cook for another 2 minutes and drain.

In a medium sized bowl combine the tomatoes, cinnamon, salt, pepper to taste, and cloves.

Butter a casserole dish. Layer half the meat mixture, eggplant, tomato mixture. Repeat.

Cover and bake in 450 oven for 1 hour.

**I also make this chopping the eggplant into 1" cubes. Good for dinner or as an appetizer.

**I've made this with ground beef too when I can't get lamb

Enjoy!