Once Upon A Thyme – Roasted Eggplant with Ground Beef & Herbed Tahini

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Adina Yaakov

Looking for ways to include more vegetables to your holiday menu? This roasted eggplant with ground beef is a delicious option with protein and packed with flavor! By scoring and roasting the eggplant with plenty of olive oil, you create a butter-soft, caramelized bed for the warmly-spiced ground beef. Optional garnishes like pomegranate seeds add color and make a great dish for your Rosh Hashanah table.

Ingredients:

4 mini eggplants

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 lb ground beef

1 tbsp allspice

1 onion, diced

2 tbsp canola oil

3 cloves crushed garlic

8 oz tomato sauce

1 tsp salt

½ cup pine nuts

Garnishes: (optional)

Flaky salt

Parsley

Pomegranate seeds

Herbed Tahini:

2 tbsp tahini paste

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp honey

1 cup parsley or basil leaves

3 tbsp lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

Black pepper to taste

  1. Wash eggplants and pat dry. Slice in half lengthwise. Using the tip of a sharp knife, make diagonal cuts about ½ inch deep into the flesh but not through the skin. Rotate the eggplant and then make cuts in the other direction to create a diamond pattern.
  2. Drizzle eggplant halves with olive oil and then season generously with salt and pepper. Roast face up at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for  35-40 minutes, or until the back of the eggplant looks collapsed and puckered.
  3. While the eggplants are roasting, make the beef. In a large sauté pan, heat canola oil and add onions. Sauté for 5-10 minutes until golden.
  4. Add ground beef, allspice, garlic, and salt and cook until browned, using a masher tool to get beef chunks as fine as possible. Add tomato sauce and cook for another five minutes. Shut off the flame and add pine nuts, mix.
  5. To make herbed tahini, place all ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth.

Assemble right before serving: Place beef on top of eggplant halves, and drizzle with herbed tahini. Sprinkle with garnishes and serve immediately.