Baked eggplants and peppers

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 Eggplants, 1 1/2 lbs, peeled & diced
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 Onion, large, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dried basil
½ teaspoon Ground cumin
¼ cup Wheat germ
Salt, to taste
Pepper, freshly ground to taste
2 tablespoons Olive oil
3 Green bell peppers, cut in 1\" squares
1½ Cups diced plum tomatoes
3 tablespoons Unbleached flour
¾ cup Lowfat milk
1½ Cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 dash Cayenne pepper

Directions

These are from <<Vegetarian Celebrations> by Nava Atlas and are more <generic Sephardic recipes that the author feels go well with latkes than chanukah recipes per se. I haven't tried the eggplant, but I like the beans & her version of Israeli Salad is pretty standard.

Eggplant and peppers, two well-loved vegetables in both the Eastern European and Sephardic traditions, are combined in a delicious casserole.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place the diced eggplant in a colander & salt it. Let stand for 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute over moderate heat until it begins to turn golden. Add the eggplant and just enough water to keep the bottom of the skillet moist. Cover & cook, stirring frequently. When the eggplant is about half done, stir in the basil & cumin. Cook until the eggplant is tender, adding small amounts of water as needed while cooking to keep the skillet moist. Stir in the wheat germ and season to taste with salt & pepper.

Oil a large, shallow baking dish & pat the eggplant mixture into it.

Rinse the skillet. Heat the additional oil. Add the peppers and saute over high heat, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown. Lower the heat, stir in the tomatoes, and saute for a minute or two, just until they begin to soften. Slowly sprinkle in the flour, stirring just until it disappears.Then, slowly stir in the milk and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle in the cheese, a bit at a time, followed by the cayenne. Let the mixture simmer until thickened and the cheese is completely melted. Pour over the eggplant. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes,or until the top is golden brown and bubbly. Let cool for 10 minutes, then scoop out sections with a spatula to serve.

Posted to JEWISH-FOOD digest V96 #79 Date: Sun, 17 Nov 96 10:24:07 CST From: bgl@... (Barbara Leass)

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