“This fragrant roasted Japanese eggplant is dressed in an herbed balsamic vinaigrette dressing. This dish is easy to prepare and can be served as a side salad or for a mazza spread on pita bread, flat bread, or cracker bread.”
Ingredients:
4-5 Japanese eggplants or 2-3 medium eggplants
1 medium green or red bell pepper, diced or chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 large cloves fresh or roasted garlic, mashed
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
Balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar to taste
2 tablespoons white sugar
Fresh chopped parsley
Dried or fresh basil and oregano to taste
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons golden raisins (optional)
Lemon wedges, fresh chopped tomatoes, green onions, mint, parsley, olive oil, paprika or Aleppo pepper, and pine nuts or chopped walnuts as garnish
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Puncture eggplants with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Bake eggplants for one hour or until soft, turning occasionally. (You can also grill eggplants for this recipe.)
Cool eggplants, then peel, dice, and set aside in a bowl. In another bowl, stir together the chopped bell pepper, red onions, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and golden raisins to taste.
Add the cooled, diced eggplant to the marinade and mix to coat well. Cover and chill for 2-3 hours or overnight before serving. Top salad with choice of garnish and serve with lemon wedges, pita bread, pita chips, flat bread, or cracker bread, if desired.
Mrs. Alice Vartanian was born in Lowell, MA, and is a resident of Fresno, CA. She is the mother of three children, including Steven Vartanian and Philip Vartanian of Fresno, Christine Vartanian Datian of Las Vegas, and grandmother to two grandsons, Brian and Justin Vartanian. She is an accomplished pianist who loves music, traveling, gardening, cooking, reading, and spending time with her beloved family and friends. She is pictured here in her lovely Fresno, CA kitchen, where she continues to work and create outstanding recipes and holiday meals for her children and grandchildren.
