Aegean Eggplant With Lentils Food

BAKED AEGEAN STYLE EGGPLANT WITH LENTILS

Steps:

• Prepare your ingredients: 1) rinse and drain the lentils, 2) halve and thinly slice the onion, 3) wash and slice the eggplant, 4) mince the garlic, 5) chop the parsley and basil, and 6) separate Swiss chard leaves from stems and chop them separately. Now you're ready to put together the dish.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Get a 3.5 to 4 quart dutch oven and generously coat it with cooking spray or misted olive oil.
• Spread the lentils evenly over the bottom of the dutch oven, then top with the sliced onion and eggplant. Evenly top that with the minced garlic, parsley, basil, capers, and paprika. Season to your preference with salt and tricolor pepper (black is okay, too, but tricolor is better).
• In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice and vinegars. Add a Swiss chard stem layer to the pot and sprinkle it with the vinegar mixture. Pack the chopped Swiss chard leaves as the final layer on top, then season once more with a bit of salt and pepper.
• Cover and bake in 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes. (Original recipe adds: "...or about 3 minutes after aroma wafts from oven.").
• Garnish with a little crumbled feta, serve with rice pilaf, and enjoy!

EGGPLANT, LENTILS, AND PEPPERS COOKED IN OLIVE OIL (TURKISH)

Steps:

• Put the green lentils in a pan of boiling water, stir and cover. Simmer in low heat for 15 minutes. Drain the water and set aside.
• Using a vegetable peeler, peel the aubergine/eggplant in zebra stripes. Then, cut the aubergine/eggplant in half lengthways and cut each half into medium slices. Spread them on a wide tray, sprinkle salt over and leave aside for 15 minutes. Using a paper towel, squeeze the excess water out of the aubergines/eggplants.
• Heat the 3 Tbsps of olive oil in a heavy pan and very lightly sauté the aubergine/eggplant slices for a minute or two. This will help aubergines/eggplants to soften up and start bringing out their lovely sweet flesh.
• In a large bowl, combine the partially cooked lentils, onion, garlic, bell peppers, chopped tomatoes, salt, dried mint, th rest of the olive oil, and the sugar. Season with ground black pepper, check the seasoning and add more salt if needed.
• In a wide heavy pan, place a layer of the aubergine/eggplant slices. Spread the half of the vegetable mixture over the aubergines/eggplants evenly. Place the remainder of the aubergine/eggplant slices over the top and spread the remaining vegetable mixture over also. Add the water, cover and cook on a medium to low heat for about 35 minutes.
• Once cooked, cover and cool the dish in the pan, this will allow the flavours to develop and blend well. Serve at room temperature with some crusty bread.
• Afiyet Olsun (means 'May you be happy and healthy with this food you eat").

AEGEAN EGGPLANT WITH LENTILS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450˚F. Generously spray inside of 3 1/2- or 4-quart Dutch oven with cooking spray. Spread lentils in even layer over bottom of pot. Top with onion, then eggplant. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, capers, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Separate stems from chard leaves. Chop stems and add to pot. Drizzle with vinegar. Chop leaves and pack into pot. Season with salt and pepper once more. Press down on leaves, and cover pot. Bake 45 minutes, or about 3 minutes after aroma wafts from oven.

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND LENTILS

Steps:

• On an oiled cookie sheet, roast the eggplant, onion, and bell pepper at 425 for about 30 minutes (turning at least once).
• Meanwhile, bring the vegetable broth (or water) to a boil. Add the seasonings, rice and lentils. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until tender. It should still be a little soupy.
• Stir vegetables, rice and lentils, and olive oil together with 1 cup of mozzarella.
• Spread into 9x13 pan and top with remaining cheese.
• Bake at 425 for 30 minutes.

AEGEAN EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
• Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold water until the water runs clear. Pour the rice and broth into the pot. Stir to coat the grains and make an even layer.
• Spread the lentils in the pot in an even layer. Scatter the onion on top of the lentils.
• Cut the eggplant horizontally into 1/4-to 1/2-inch slices, then cut the slices in half. Arrange the wedges in a layer. Scatter the garlic on top of the eggplant. Sprinkle with the paprika, pepper, and parsley, then scatter in the capers.
• Mince the chard stems and scatter them evenly in the pot. Drizzle with the vinegar. Roughly cut the chard leaves and pack them into the pot; sprinkle with nutmeg and more pepper.
• Cover and bake for 35 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
• Calories: 415
• Protein: 16g
• Carbohydrates: 89g
• Fat: 2g
• Cholesterol: 0
• Sodium: 773mg
• Fiber: 7g

LENTIL AND ORZO STEW WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the eggplant with 1/4 cup olive oil and crushed coriander seeds until coated; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until eggplant is tender and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, giving the baking sheet a shake halfway through roasting to toss the eggplant pieces for even cooking.
• In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add the carrot, onion and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato paste begins to darken on the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the lentils until coated. Pour in stock or water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower to medium and simmer until lentils are tender, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the type and age of lentils you use.
• Stir in the orzo and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the roasted eggplant pieces and large shavings of ricotta salata, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.