"RECIPE:
2 Japanese eggplants or 1 Italian eggplant, halved
Salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon ras el hanout
¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
3 dried figs, roughly chopped
½ cup cilantro leaves and stems, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted in butter
Tahini Sauce:
3 tablespoons tahini
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ teaspoon ras el hanout
Water, as needed
Salt and black pepper
Preheat oven to 425F. Score each eggplant half with crosshatch marks and place on a roasting pan, cut-side up. Season with salt and pepper. In a bowl, combine olive oil, garlic and ras el hanout. Spoon the oil mixture over the eggplant and rub into its flesh and skin. Roast eggplant until tender, about 25 minutes.
In the same bowl used for the olive oil mixture, combine cilantro, figs, olives and pine nuts. Toss to combine (and to grab any bits of olive oil and spices left in the bowl!) In another bowl, combine the tahini sauce ingredients and stir vigorously. Stir in water, a few splashes at a time, to thin out the tahini mixture until it’s drizzable. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove eggplants from oven once soft. Garnish with the cilantro mixture and drizzle with the tahini sauce. Finish with drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt."
2 Japanese eggplants or 1 Italian eggplant, halved
Salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon ras el hanout
¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
3 dried figs, roughly chopped
½ cup cilantro leaves and stems, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted in butter
Tahini Sauce:
3 tablespoons tahini
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ teaspoon ras el hanout
Water, as needed
Salt and black pepper
Preheat oven to 425F. Score each eggplant half with crosshatch marks and place on a roasting pan, cut-side up. Season with salt and pepper. In a bowl, combine olive oil, garlic and ras el hanout. Spoon the oil mixture over the eggplant and rub into its flesh and skin. Roast eggplant until tender, about 25 minutes.
In the same bowl used for the olive oil mixture, combine cilantro, figs, olives and pine nuts. Toss to combine (and to grab any bits of olive oil and spices left in the bowl!) In another bowl, combine the tahini sauce ingredients and stir vigorously. Stir in water, a few splashes at a time, to thin out the tahini mixture until it’s drizzable. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove eggplants from oven once soft. Garnish with the cilantro mixture and drizzle with the tahini sauce. Finish with drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt."