Eggplant And Pomegranate Stew With Beef Or Lamb Recipes

OLD FASHIONED BEEF STEW WITH EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven top 325 F.
• Cut the eggplant cubes. Oil a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Add the eggplant pieces to the baking sheet. Brush a little olive oil on top of each eggplant cube. Season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of oregano. Bake cubes for 30 to 45 min or until eggplant flesh is soft and a light golden color. When done remove baking sheet with eggplants from oven and set aside.
• Dry the beef pieces well using a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly dust 1 - 2 tbsp all purpose flour all over beef.
• In a large pot heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Brown the beef, a few pieces at a time all over, about 2-3 minutes. Remove beef pieces on a plate and set aside.
• Add the onion. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 1-2 min. Add the garlic, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg and oregano. Stir and sauté for 2 minutes
• Add the tomatoes. Gently crush them to eliminate any big chunks. Mix well. Add the beef, 1/2 cup of water, some fresh thyme and oregano sprigs. Stir gently, cover and simmer in low heat for 1 hour.
• Add eggplant pieces to the stew. Stir gently, cover and simmer for another 30 to 45 min or until beef is soft and almost falling apart with a fork. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. and serve.

MAMA'S OH-SO-SAVORY LAMB AND EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a colander set in a bowl or the sink; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Let eggplant stand for at least 1 hour. Rinse off the bitter liquid and excess salt and drain well.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and celery; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent and celery is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
• While vegetables are cooking, combine ground cumin, oregano, rosemary, paprika, mint, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or mortar and pestle and mix well; this is the lamb seasoning (see Cook's Note). Set seasoning aside.
• Stir eggplant cubes and garlic into the vegetables in the skillet, mixing well, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with half of the lamb seasoning mixture. Reserve remaining seasoning. Stir gently and cook for 5 minutes more.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
• Pour chicken broth and half the can of tomato sauce into the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes; add a little water if the sauce starts to get dry. Transfer the sauce to the prepared casserole dish.
• Return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat and heat the reserved tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Place ground lamb into skillet and sprinkle with remaining seasoning mixture. Brown lamb in the hot oil, stirring frequently, until the meat is evenly browned; it should look like imperfect meatballs.
• Gently transfer the lamb to the casserole dish, pushing it down into the vegetable mixture so that it is at least partially submerged. Stir fresh lemon juice into the remaining tomato sauce and pour the sauce over the casserole.
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending upon how tender you like your vegetables.

EGGPLANT AND POMEGRANATE STEW (WITH BEEF OR LAMB)

Steps:

• Start a pot of water to boil. While waiting for it to boil, do the next steps.
• Halve the eggplants and chop roughly into 1-inch chunks. Place in colander and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt all over. Set in the sink to drain.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the lamb (or beef) and cook, stirring frequently, until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon on the black pepper and the 1/2 teaspoon of allspice, and turn the meat to coat it in the spices.
• Add the now-boiling water to cover by 1 inch. Bring the mixture back to a boil, skimming the foam from the surface. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop the carrots into 1-inch think rounds and the bell pepper into 10inch pieces.
• Heat remaining 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until they release their juices and are soft, about 5 minutes.
• Pat the eggplant dry. Add the eggplant, carrots, and bell pepper and cook until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and the meat with its liquid, and give the mixture a good stir.
• Add the remaining black pepper and bring the stew to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover the pot, and let cook about 30-45 minutes.
• Mash or mince the garlic and stir it in along with the pomegranate syrup, mint, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Taste, and adjust seasonging as needed.
• Serve with rice or eat with bread.