Fattet Makdous (layered baby eggplant dish)
Ingredients (preparation of eggplant)
6 baby eggplants
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
• Take off the stems of eggplants and toss the eggplants in olive oil, salt and pepper. Saute on stove top for a few minutes then finish off the cooking of the eggplant in a 350 degree oven for about 50 minutes or so till tender.
Ingredients (preparation of beef)
1/2 a chopped sweet or yellow onion
1 1/4 lb of lean ground beef
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 tbsp all spice
Dash of cinnamon
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
• Add some olive oil to a pan then add the pine nuts. Sautee till lightly toasted and place aside on a plate lined with paper towel.
• In the same pan, add a little more oil and start to cook the onion. Once translucent add the ground beef and add all the seasonings mentioned. Cook till beef is browned. This shouldn’t take more than 5-7 minutes.
• Add half the pine nuts back into the beef mixture.
• Once the eggplants are read, slice them in the middle to create a pocket. Stuff the pocket with the beef mixture and set the eggplants aside.
• Add the leftover ground beef to the tomato sauce.
Ingredients (preparation of tomato layer)
2 tomatoes chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 a chopped yellow onion
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
• In a pan, add olive oil and saute the onions and garlic then add in the chopped tomatoes. Let this all melt together into a rough sauce.
Ingredients (white sauce preparation)
1 tbsp tahini
1 cup dairy free yogurt (kite hill almond unsweetened plain yogurt)
1 tbsp chopped dill
1/2 a lemon’s juice
Salt & pepper
4 minced garlic cloves
Instructions
• Mash the garlic with some salt. In a bowl, add the yogurt, tahini, dill, and lemon juice. To that, add the garlic then season with some salt and pepper. Allow this to sit overnight or for a few hours for flavors to blend well.
Ingredients (preparation of bread)
2 gluten free tortilla wraps or gluten free pita
1 tbsp olive oil
• On a baking sheet, add pieces of bread. Drizzle with olive oil. Toast in 350 degree oven till crisp.
How to Layer:
• In a deep dish, add the crisped bread. On top of that, layer the tomato sauce with the extra ground beef. Then add the white sauce on top of all that. Then cushion in the stuffed baby eggplants. Garnish with cilantro/parsley and the rest of the toasted pine nuts.
Lara Kh.