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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.