Think Polish, cook Italian. Aubergines.

For some light, veggie meal and frustration-free cooking one must try an aubergine bake.

Based on a popular Italian dish I ate in Rome here’s its simplified version. Now, when I was putting a recipe together I googled the dish and actually found a very promising one by Jamie (check here).

A pic before..

And after

200 gram mozzarella cheese

2 eggplants

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato puree

2 garlic cloves

fresh basil (I didn’t have! I used dried one and used parley to garnish.. )

dried oregano

salt, pepper, olive oil

1 beaten egg

 

Slice aubergines in a long chunks and grill them for 10 mins on a hot grill pan (don’t have – I  just fried them on 1 tablespoon of olive) . On a separate pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive and add crushed garlic. Let it free the aroma (3 mins) and add tomatoes and tomato purée. Add oregano, half basil, salt and pepper and cook on a small heat for 10-14 mins. Place half aubergines in an oven-friendly dish and cover with tomato sauce. Cover with the remainder aubergines and top with sliced mozzarella (all right, they usually use parmesan but mozzarella is a lighter and cheaper option). Cover with beaten egg and bake for approx. 40-45 mins in 180 Celcius. Watch the cheese as it gets burned: the best it’s to keep it under the cover for 30 mins and then let it brownish for another 10-15 min. Decorate with basil. To be served with a cooled vino rosso ..

Bulgur Salad – Antep Style

My absolute number one in this summer:  combines freshness thanks to mint, lettuce and parsley, exotic sourness as for pomegranate and filling bulgur wheat. Can be served hot or cold, can be frozen and re-heated and each time it’s beautiful. I seriously love it

300-350 gram bulgur

a bunch of parsley leaves

green lettuce

small red onion (optional)

2 tbsp tomatoe paste

1 tbsp sweet paprika

2 tbsp mint

olive oil

2 tablespoons pomegranate syrup

 

Place bulgur in a dish, add a pinch of salt and 1 table spoon olive oil and cover with hot water. Set aside until bulgur absorbs water. Cover bulgur with water again and cook on a small fire for 15 mins (add water if needed). Bulgur should be wet and non-sticky. Very finely chop mint (if you have leaves), lettuce, parsley and onion. Add the tomato paste to bulgur and mix together. Add onion, paprika and dried mint. Add another 1-2 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix it well with your hands. Now pour  the pomegranate syrup over the dish and again mix it in. Add parsley and lettuce and if you want keep some portion to garnish. Goes well with chilled ayran.

 

Aubergine salad

Delicious, refreshing summer chickpea & aubergine salad.

1 aubergine

1 can chickpeas (drained)

fresh coriander (or fresh parsley)
Dressing:

1 tsp liquid, clear honey

juice from 0.50 lemon

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp sweet pepper powder

salt, pepper

Chop  aubergine , sprinkle with olive oil and bake until brownish in 200 C degrees. Takes around 20-30 mins. Combine with chickpeas and coriander and dressing ingredients.