Roasted Eggplant with Pomegranate and Yogurt

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arab food, eggplant, meze, middle eastern, oven roasted eggplant, pomegranate, pomegranate molasses, tahini, yogurt sauce

In Arab world, the eggplant is often called “the noble fruit”, gracing the tables of rich and poor alike.

Didn’t I mention before that I’m a big fan of any eggplant recipe. Yes, and don’t wonder if you see my blog is all about eggplant.

Eggplant is appreciated in most of middle eastern countries. There is a common lore has been told for long ago that a woman ability to manage the household is judged by how many ways she can prepare eggplant. Indeed, you can find many middle eastern dishes containing eggplant, it may be savored hot or cold, grilled, barbecued, deep-fried, sautéed, roasted, baked, stuffed, marinated, pickled, in pastry, casseroles, stews and even confitures and jams.

This is a wonderful middle eastern way to enjoy the eggplant. A healthy, light, and quick dish that served as an appetizer at any meze table. You have the choice to fry the eggplant, but I prefer it healthy by roasting the eggplant slices with a little of olive oil. make sure to roast the eggplant on high oven heat.

The dressing of pomegranate molasses and vinegar gives the eggplant slices a sweet and sour flavor. Serve them hot or cold, with the yogurt and tahini topping at room temperature.

Roasted Eggplants with Pomegranate & Yogurt

3-4 eggplants
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1\2 tablespoon sumac
1 1\2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1  tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups plain yogurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoon tahini
1\4 cup pine nuts
1\4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
fresh parsley, chopped

Cut the eggplants, lengthwide or crosswide, into slices about 1\2 inch thick. place them on an oiled sheet of foil on baking tray. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place in a very hot oven preheated to 475 f for about 20 minutes, until they are soft and browned, turning the slices over once. Arrange on a shallow serving dish. sprinkle with sumac.

Mix the pomegranate molasses, vinegar, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoon olive oil, and brush the eggplant slices with the dressing. Beat the yogurt with the garlic and tahini and pour them very lightly all over, and sprinkle over the pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, fresh parsley, and sumac.

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Daring Cook Challenge: Potato Salad

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avocado, avocado potato salad, cauiliflower, daring kitchen challenge, eggplant, lentil, lentil potato salad, pomegranate molasses, potato salad, Salad, sweet potato, sweet potato salad, sweet red bell pepper, yogurt dressingroasted vegetable salad

Jami Sorrento was our June Daring Cooks hostess and she chose to challenge us to celebrate the humble spud by making a delicious and healthy potato salad. The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge was sponsored by the nice people at the United States Potato Board, who awarded prizes to the top 3 most creative and healthy potato salads. A medium-size (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and includes nearly half your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana!

Here is some potato salads recipes I usually make:

Sweet and White Potato Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

This salad is gorgeous, it combine between the sweet and the sour, when using the sweet potato and the white, then the pomegranate with its sweet and sour flavor along with the arugula, very very delicious.

1 sweet potato
2 medium white potato
arugula
sweet red bell pepper
green onion
pecan
for the dressing
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper

Boil the potato with the skins on until tender and cooked, peel the skin and cut the potato into small cubes and let it cool, cut the pepper into 1\2 inch dices, slice the green onion thinly, add the arugula and pecan.
To make the dressing, add all the ingredient in a bowl and whisk until incorporated, add to the salad and mix all together.

Avocado Potato Salad

It’s really great as a refreshing light lunch as will as a very good choice to serve at gathering along with pita chips.

2 medium White potato boiled, peeled, and medium diced
1 avocado cut into medium dices
2 small roma tomato medium diced
1 small cucumber medium diced
3 tablespoon parsley chopped
some mint leaves chopped
2 tablespoon onion small diced
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

Mix the potato, avocado, tomato, cucumber, parsley and the onion all together in deep dish. Add the lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper, mix and server in small dish.

For the pita chips slice the pita bread into triangles drezzel with olive oil and sprinke a dash of salt, spread the triangle on a baking sheet and put it in the oven at 300 f for 10 -15 min.

Oven Roasted Potato veggies salad with yogurt dressing

this salad is a twist on a famous mediterranean fried veggie layered salad, so instead of frying the veggies why not to grill it in the oven as I did or on the grill. the sauce from yogurt and taini gives it that creamy sour fresh tangy taste.

red potato peeled and cut into wedges
paprika for seasoning
eggplant cut into large cubes
cauliflower cut into large floret
frozen sweet corn
chopped parsley
toasted pine nuts
salt and pepper
olive oil for roasting the veggie
for the dressing
1\2 cup greek yogurt
3 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat the oven at 350 f, on a sheet pan season the potato with salt, pepper, paprika, add olive oil to coat completely, mix all together, layer the potato into the pan and put it in the oven for 20 – 25 min. until cooked and soft inside (you can check it with the fork).
layer the eggplant and cauliflower after coating with salt and pepper and drizzle some olive oil to coat completely and put it in the oven at 350 f for 15 -20 min.
in a pan put some olive oil add the corn and sauté for 5 min.
To make the dressing mix the yogurt the tahini and the lemon juice.
On the serving dish layer the potato the eggplant then the cauliflower the corn add another layer of each, top it with the yogurt sauce, pine nuts and chopped parsley.

Lentil Potato Salad

potato boiled peeled and diced to medium cubes
lentil cooked to tender
parley chopped
sweet red bell pepper
2 tablespoon onion diced fine
cumin, dried coriander,salt and pepper
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon olive oil
some romaine lettuce for serving

mix all ingredient together spoon it into the letuce cups and serve.