Baked Aegean Style Eggplant With Lentils Recipes

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!

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.

EGGPLANT WITH LENTILS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 475°. Remove pulp from eggplants; cut pulp from one eggplant into 1/4-inch cubes and discard the rest. Coat eggplant shells with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place eggplant shells open side down. In a bowl, coat eggplant cubes with cooking spray and toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt; place in one layer on a second baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake eggplant shells and cubes until tender, 10 minutes. Remove eggplant; reduce oven to 350°. In a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Cook onion, celery and carrot until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook, 1 minute. Add lentils, eggplant cubes, broth, vinegar, pepper and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in chopped mint. Flip shells on baking sheet and stuff with lentil-eggplant mixture; cover with aluminum foil and bake until warm; 10 minutes. Top with cheese and mint leaves.