This recipe for eggplant morocco is just one way to serve a delicious vegetarian and gluten-free dish, and convince anyone that meat isn't needed to satisfy the tummy at mealtime.
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
2 medium eggplants
1 small red onion, chopped
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil (extra-virgin is best)
2 tablespoons parsley
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Toast and grind the cumin seeds. This step is optional (you can use ground cumin if you prefer), but if you want traditional Moroccan food, you'll toast and grind. Just put the cumin seeds in a skillet over medium heat and stir until they're dark brown and begin to smell good (about 5 minutes). Remove them from the pan right away so they don't burn. Cool the seeds, and use a coffee or spice grinder to grind them.
Put the eggplant in an oven-safe baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. The skin will darken and the insides will be tender.
When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, scrape the insides out of the skin and place on a cutting board. Chop the eggplant into 1/2-inch cubes. Be sure to cut off and throw away the stem.
Mix together 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, the eggplant, onion, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, oil, and 1/2 tablespoon parsley.
Put the mixture into a serving dish and top with the rest of the cumin, parsley, and salt and pepper.
Per serving: Calories 99 (From Fat 64); Fat 7g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 151mg; Carbohydrate 9g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 1g.