Yes, We Cook!

With some leftover Feta cheese sitting in the Fridge I thought I would do a Mediterranean-esque dish.  Here is something I have to admit – I’ve never consumed eggplant in my 32 years on this planet. 

Scary, huh?

That said, I truly had no clue as to what I was doing, I just went with what seemed right.

I used:

1 package of frozen spinach

2 small vine ripened tomatoes

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ cup bread crumbs

¼ cup feta cheese

fresh parsley

fresh oregano

1 nice sized eggplant

olive oil

1) Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees

2) Cut your eggplant into four steak, roughly one inch thick.  At olive oil to a frying pan and brown the egg plant on each side for one to two minutes. Set aside eggplant steaks

3) Defrost your spinach, chop your tomatoes.  Using the same frying pan add additional olive oil, sauté the spinach, tomatoes, minced garlic, parsley and oregano.  Use the amount of parsley and oregano you see fit.   Also, salt and pepper to your taste

4) Place your eggplant onto a foiled cookie sheet, spoon on your spinach mixture.

5) Mix the Feta cheese and bread crumbs together, sprinkle over the spinach mix on the eggplant and bake for 25 minutes

While the eggplant was in the oven I quickly whipped up some dill rice.

2 cups of white rice

2 cups of chicken broth

1 cup of freshly cut dill

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

This is quite easy to do, just…

1) Bring the chicken broth to a boil

2) Add rice and lemon juice, stir

3) Add dill, stir

4) Cover and cook over low heat until rice is at your desired tenderness

Eggplant steak goodness!

OH WOW. This is the second vegetarian dish in two weeks that has really, really impressed me.  The eggplant didn’t have the flavor or texture I expected, and the “stuff” complimented the aftertaste of the fruit. And the dill rice tied everything together… I mean, come on, it’s dill rice!

Also, the spinach/tomato mix could be used for so many things…Actually, it could seem some variant of this being for a pita or chip “dip”… maybe even for stuffed mushrooms.

In the end I capped the entire meal off with a slice of the Cinnamon and Brown Sugar cake and I was in heaven. 

All and all a good turnout for  a “let’s throw something together” dish.

Related posts:

1. Eggplant Parmesan, Salsa is not Spaghetti Sauce
2. Ground beef and eggplant lasagna
3. Spinach, cheese, rice and onion frittata
4. Seared Tilapia with Lemon-Tarragon Sauce and Spinach Orzo
5. Spinach and Tofu Stuffed Shells