Eggplant with Kale & Yogurt

Another recipe from Bon Appetit! This time it is for roasted eggplant, crispy kale, tomatoes & yogurt! We ate this just as is  without anything else, but it would be excellent in a pita with some hummus…some falafel… with some fish….rolled up in a wrap… the possibilities are endless!

The eggplant is cut & roasted, making the flesh very tender.  I roasted the kale at the same time. The recipe said to put it into a hot pan until crispy, but that would have taken longer then I wanted to spend on crisping up kale so I make kale chips…  I just put the washed & dried kale onto a baking sheet & roasted it! It worked beautifully. Some of the kale wasn’t crispy, but I find that is how kale is…sometimes it is all crispy & sometimes not! This whole dish is layered…first the yogurt, then the kale, then the eggplant then  topped with fresh tomatoes!

The recipe made too much for Murray & I… there were lots of leftovers.. I would cut the recipe in half for us next time I make it. I am going to make this for guests as part of a buffet type of dinner!

Here is the recipe

Ingredients

2 eggplants, about 1 1/2 pounds total  *** I used 1 large eggplant

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp cumin powder

6 kale leaves

1 medium-sized cucumber  *** I used 2 mini cucumbers

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 clove garlic, minced *** the recipe calls for more garlic but it was too much for us so I have reduced the garlic by half

salt

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

olive oil for drizzling over the whole dish as a garnish

 

Method

Line 2 baking sheets with foil

Preheat oven to 400f

1. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, then again lengthwise, into small 1- 2 inch pieces..
2. Toss the cut eggplant with the oil & put onto a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with some salt & roast until starting to char & the eggplant is tender…about 20 minutes but it depends on the size you cut the eggplant. Use a spatula to turn the eggplant over about half way through the cooking time. When the eggplant is cooked, remove from the oven & sprinkle the cumin on & toss to combine. Set aside
3. Remove the kale leaves from the stem, wash & dry the leaves & cut or tear into bite size pieces
4. Place the kale leaves in a single layer on the 2nd baking sheet. I roasted these without adding any oil or salt. Roast these in the oven with the eggplant, but put them on the upper rack ( not the bottom one )  so they do not burn. Roast these until they are shriveled & crispy.  Watch them often so they do not burn.
5. While the eggplant & kale are in oven…grate the cucumber with a medium holed grater… using your hands, squeeze the moisture out of the cucumber & put it into a medium size bowl
6. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, & garlic to the cucumber. Add some salt to season it. Mix well
7. Next, drizzle the cut tomatoes in some olive oil. Salt them. Toss to coat all of the tomato pieces with the oil
8. Taking a flat serving dish…I used a rimmed dish ….start to layer this on a platter!

Spread the yogurt on the platter first, then put the eggplant evenly over yogurt, then the kale overtop of the eggplant & next put the tomatoes all over. Drizzle some olive oil over the tomatoes.

Enjoy!