Baked Eggplants And Peppers Recipe

These are from ((Vegetarian Celebrations) by Nava Atlas and are more

(generic Sephardic recipes which the author feels go well with latkes than chanukah recipes per se.

I haven't tried the eggplant, but I like the beans & her version of Israeli Salad is pretty standard.

Eggplant and peppers, two well-loved vegetables in both the Eastern European and Sephardic traditions, are combined in a delicious casserole.

Preheat oven to 350 .

Place the diced eggplant in a colander & salt it.

Let stand for 30 min, then rinse thoroughly.

Heat the oil in a large skillet.

Add in the onion and saute/fry over moderate heat till it begins to turn golden brown.

Add in the eggplant and just sufficient water to keep the bottom of the skillet moist.

Cover & cook, stirring frequently.

When the eggplant is about half done, stir in the basil & cumin.

Cook till the eggplant is tender, adding small amounts of water as needed while cooking to keep the skillet moist.

Stir in the wheat germ and season to taste with salt & pepper.

Oil a large, shallow baking dish & pat the eggplant mix into it.

Rinse the skillet.

Heat the additional oil.

Add in the peppers and saute/fry over high heat, stirring frequently, till they begin to brown.

Lower the heat, stir in the tomatoes, and saute/fry for a minute or possibly two, just till they begin to soften.

Slowly sprinkle in the flour, stirring just till it disappears.Then, slowly stir in the lowfat milk and bring to a simmer.

Sprinkle in the cheese, a bit at a time, followed by the cayenne.

Let the mix simmer till thickened and the cheese is completely melted.

Pour over the eggplant.

Bake for 35 to 40 min,or possibly till the top is golden and bubbly.

Let cold for 10 min, then scoop out sections with a spatula to serve.