Inexpensive and Tasty Goodies with Eggplants

Even though experts advise us not to overconsume eggplants, they are an incredibly healthy and delicious vegetable. They can be prepared in all sorts of ways and if not served more than once a week can spoil our palate quite a bit. Here we will offer you 3 nonstandard recipes with eggplants, considered to be true specialties, that also won't hit your wallet too hard.

Aromatic Eggplant Skewers

Ingredients: 2 eggplants, 3 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, 2 tbsp cumin, salt and black pepper to taste.

Preparation: Dice the eggplants, string them on wooden skewers and sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper. In a bowl mix all of the remaining spices, saving 1 tbsp of honey for later. Pour thus prepared marinade generously over the eggplants and leave them in the fridge for 3 hours. Bake in an oiled tray until they turn golden, then pour on the set-aside honey and they're ready to serve.

Eggplant Gratin

Ingredients: 3.5 lb eggplants, 5.5 oz grated cheese, 7 oz tomatoes, 2/5 cup olive oil, 2 eggs, 1 1/5 cups milk, 5 tbsp flour, 1 bunch dill, salt and black pepper to taste.

Preparation: Peel the eggplants, salt them and set them aside for 20 min. to drain away the bitter juice. Dice them and braise them in the olive oil. Pour them in a suitable container and add the diced tomatoes and nearly all of the grated cheese.

Stir well, add the finely chopped dill, season with salt and black pepper to taste and bake the gratin for 20 min. in a preheated 360°F (180 °C) oven. Pour the eggs and flour beaten with the milk over the dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Leave it to bake.

Appetizer with Eggplants and Chickpeas

Ingredients: 24.5 oz eggplants, 3 garlic cloves, 1 1/3 cups canned chickpeas, 1/2 cup tahini paste, the juice of 1 lemon, salt, cumin and black pepper to taste.

Preparation: Bake the eggplants on top of baking paper for about 20 min. until they soften completely. Peel them carefully, then put them in a bowl and mix with the chopped garlic, drained chickpeas, lemon juice and tahini paste. Season with salt, black pepper and cumin to taste and whip lightly with a mixer, to get an aromatic puree. You can serve it alongside all sorts of meat dishes or serve it as an appetizer with slices of bread.