This is a classic Mediterranean dish, very popular in Greece (and Turkey of course) during the summer and fall that eggplants are in season. It doesn’t look pretty but it’s very tasty. You can add more (yes!) or less garlic depending on your taste buds. Luckily Sean loves garlic as much as I do (probably more than I do). You can also add a couple of potatoes in your baking pan (I always do).
Ingredients
4-5 long eggplants
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced onions
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
4-5 tomatoes, blended in the food processor for few seconds
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Imam Baildi
Using a sharp knife, slit the eggplants lengthwise on the one side only. Open them slightly so you can put the stuffing. Brush them with a little bit of olive oil and bake them for 15 minutes or fry them gently in a little bit of olive oil. Arrange the eggplants side by side in a baking pan and season them with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp of the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and saute the onions and the until golden. Add the tomatoes and half a cup of water. Season with salt and pepper. Add the oregano and sugar and simmer for 15 minutes. Use a spoon to fill the eggplants with the onions, tomatoes and garlic mixture. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil on top of the eggplants and bake in a pre-heated oven at 350F/180C, for about 40 minutes.
On another note to my Sunday’s post I forgot to mention that I also sun-dried tomatoes. It’s pretty fun spending time in the country 
sundried tomatoes
I was originally thinking of serving this as a side dish, but it was so freaking good that I had to eat a bigger portion. So it made our whole lunch, along with some salad and warm bread. I used fresh pinto beans but you can make this with dry pinto beans as well. Just soak them overnight and cook them for 15 minutes more.
garlicky home cooked pinto beans
Ingredients
500 gr (1 pound) fresh pinto beans
a small garlic, whole, unpeeled
3 bay leaves
1 medium potato, peeled and halved
1 medium tomato
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
5 cups vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
home cooked beans!
Place the fresh pinto beans and the vegetable broth in a deep pot. Cut the top part of the garlic and add it in the pot along with the bay leaves, potato and tomato. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until the beans are soft and nicely cooked. Remove the potato, tomato and garlic and place them in a plate with ¼ cup of the cooking vegetable broth. Drain the beans in a colander, reserving some of the vegetable broth, enough to cover them once you put them back in the pot. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin. It will be very soft and creamy. Peel the tomato skin (it will be very easy to remove it with your fingers). Start mashing the tomato, potato and garlic in the reserved ¼ cup of cooking broth. Add salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil. Throw this mixture back to the pot with the beans and mix well. Serve hot in a deep dish topping with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chopped fresh parsley and warm bread. Enjoy!
This hummus is great served with raw vegetables, pitas or even as a spread in a falafel wrap. I also like thining it with soy yogurt and using it as a salad dressing. I made this with white beans which give the hummus a silky, thin and soft texture.
- garlic & rosemary white beans hummus
Ingredients
2 cups cooked white beans, drained
2 cloves of garlic
2 TS olive oil
2 TS tahini
1 TS fresh rosemary
2 TS lemon juice
1/2 ts salt
1/2 ts smoked paprika
1/4 ts chili powder
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Drizzle with 1 TB of olive oil and/or lemon juice and garnish with some fresh rosemary.
