Best 4 Maureen Aboods Eggplant With Lamb Tomato And Pine Nuts Recipes

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In this article, we will guide you through creating a delectable dish that combines the tantalizing flavors of eggplant, tender lamb, juicy tomatoes, and crunchy pine nuts. Maureen Abood, a renowned chef known for her vibrant Middle Eastern cuisine, has crafted a recipe that captivates the senses and leaves you craving more. With step-by-step instructions and insightful tips, we will help you master this culinary delight, transforming your kitchen into a symphony of flavors and aromas.

Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!

MAUREEN ABOOD'S EGGPLANT WITH LAMB, TOMATO AND PINE NUTS



Maureen Abood's Eggplant With Lamb, Tomato and Pine Nuts image

With its layers of golden eggplant, cinnamon-scented lamb, and sweet tomato sauce topped with melted cheese, this traditional Lebanese dish is made for celebratory meals and gatherings. Even better, it's just as good served warm or room temperature as it is hot from the oven. It also reheats well, meaning that you can bake it the day before, and reheat it before serving if you like. Pull it out of the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature for an hour, then reheat it covered for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories     dinner, lunch, casseroles, main course

Time 2h

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 large firm eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch slices
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground lamb or beef (80 percent lean)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Black pepper
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce, or 31/2 cups homemade sauce (see recipe)
12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

Steps:

  • Heat broiler and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.
  • Brush both sides of eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Arrange slices on prepared baking sheet and broil in batches until they are deep mahogany brown, turning once halfway through, 5 to 7 minutes per side.
  • Adjust the oven to 375 degrees with rack positioned in the center.
  • In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, but not browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground lamb or beef, stirring frequently and breaking up meat into very small pieces with the side of a metal spoon. Season with remaining teaspoon salt, cinnamon and pepper. Sauté until meat is just cooked through. Taste and add more salt or pepper, or both, as needed.
  • In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add pine nuts and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir nuts to coat them with butter and continue stirring constantly until nuts are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Keep a close watch over the nuts; they can burn quickly once they begin to brown. Transfer nuts to a bowl while still warm and salt them lightly.
  • Coat a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish. Lay 1/3 of the eggplant slices in a single layer over the sauce, covering as much surface area of the bottom of the dish as possible. Spoon half the meat evenly over eggplant. Pour 1/3 of the remaining tomato sauce evenly over meat. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the pine nuts. Layer again with eggplant, meat, tomato sauce and pine nuts. Finish with a layer of eggplant and cover with more tomato sauce, sprinkling top with pine nuts.
  • Pour 1 cup warm water around the perimeter of the baking dish. (Sauce will thicken as it bakes.) Cover pan with foil and bake for 90 minutes. Remove foil and top eggplant evenly with mozzarella. Bake for 15 minutes longer, uncovered, or until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Serve eggplant warm, over rice.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 478, UnsaturatedFat 20 grams, Carbohydrate 18 grams, Fat 37 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 23 grams, SaturatedFat 13 grams, Sodium 854 milligrams, Sugar 10 grams, TransFat 0 grams

MAUREEN ABOOD'S LAVENDER AND ORANGE BLOSSOM COOKIES



Maureen Abood's Lavender and Orange Blossom Cookies image

These buttery, shortbread-like cookies, called graybeh, have a particularly crunchy texture that comes from clarified butter. If you've never clarified butter, this recipe is a good place to start, and the process is extremely simple (though you do have to plan it several hours ahead). If you're not a lavender fan, feel free to leave it out. And for a more familiar flavor, substitute vanilla extract for the orange blossom water. These cookies keep well, so you can make them up to a week in advance.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories     snack, cookies and bars, dessert

Time 35m

Yield 2 dozen cookies

Number Of Ingredients 6

3/4 cup/180 grams clarified butter, at room temperature (see note)
1 3/4 cups/215 grams confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons/1 gram dried lavender, ground to a powder
1/2 teaspoon/3 grams kosher salt
1 teaspoon/ 5 milliliters orange blossom water
1 3/4 cups/228 grams all-purpose flour, more as needed

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the center of the oven. Line two sheet pans (not dark metal) with parchment paper.
  • In an electric mixer, beat the butter on high for about 6 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add 3/4 cup (92 grams) confectioners' sugar, lavender and salt and beat another 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and with the mixer on low speed, add orange blossom water and mix to combine.
  • Add flour to butter 1/2 cup (about 65 grams) at a time, until dough is crumbly and slightly dry but still able to hold together when squeezed, adding additional flour if necessary.
  • Divide dough into quarters and press each into a long narrow log about 1 inch high and 1 inch wide. With a sharp knife, cut into log diagonally to make diamond-shaped cookies 1 to 2 inches long. Use a spatula to transfer cookies to sheet pans, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Cookies should be golden brown at the edges.
  • Sift remaining confectioners' sugar over baked cookies while still warm. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 135, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 16 grams, Fat 8 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 1 gram, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 49 milligrams, Sugar 9 grams

EGGPLANT WITH LAMB, TOMATO AND PINE NUTS RECIPE - (4/5)



Eggplant With Lamb, Tomato and Pine Nuts Recipe - (4/5) image

Provided by á-167595

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 large firm eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch slices
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground lamb or beef (80 percent lean)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Black pepper
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce, or 31/2 cups homemade sauce (see recipe)
12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

Steps:

  • Step 1Heat broiler and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. Step 2Brush both sides of eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Arrange slices on prepared baking sheet and broil in batches until they are deep mahogany brown, turning once halfway through, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Step 3Adjust the oven to 375 degrees with rack positioned in the center. Step 4In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, but not browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground lamb or beef, stirring frequently and breaking up meat into very small pieces with the side of a metal spoon. Season with remaining teaspoon salt, cinnamon and pepper. Sauté until meat is just cooked through. Taste and add more salt or pepper, or both, as needed. Step 5In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add pine nuts and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir nuts to coat them with butter and continue stirring constantly until nuts are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Keep a close watch over the nuts; they can burn quickly once they begin to brown. Transfer nuts to a bowl while still warm and salt Step 6Coat a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish. Lay 1/3 of the eggplant slices in a single layer over the sauce, covering as much surface area of the bottom of the dish as possible. Spoon half the meat evenly over eggplant. Pour 1/3 of the remaining tomato sauce evenly over meat. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the pine nuts. Layer again with eggplant, meat, tomato sauce and pine nuts. Finish with a layer of eggplant and cover with more tomato sauce, sprinkling top with pine nuts. Step 7Pour 1 cup warm water around the perimeter of the baking dish. (Sauce will thicken as it bakes.) Cover pan with foil and bake for 90 minutes. Remove foil and top eggplant evenly with mozzarella. Bake for 15 minutes longer, uncovered, or until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Serve eggplant warm, over rice.

EGGPLANT WITH LAMB AND PINE NUTS



Eggplant With Lamb and Pine Nuts image

A recipe from Jeff Smith. Rounds of eggplant topped with lamb in a flavorful sauce. You could serve this as a light main course, a side or even as an appetizer!

Provided by LifeIsGood

Categories     Lamb/Sheep

Time 50m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 lb ground lean lamb
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup tomato sauce, canned
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
3 tablespoons pine nuts (you might want to add more for personal taste)
1 large eggplant

Steps:

  • Brown the lamb, onion and garlic in the oil, in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the meat is browned, add the salt, pepper, tomato sauce, red wine, cinnamon, allspice and pine nuts. Cook for about 15 minutes while the sauce reduces a little.
  • Cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices. Lightly brown them in a separate skillet with just a touch of olive oil. Turn and brown the other sides. Do not overcook, just brown them.
  • Place the eggplant slices on a baking sheet and spread some of the filling on each.
  • Bake in a 375 degree F. oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until it is all hot and the eggplant is tender.

Tips:

  • To save time, you can use pre-cooked eggplant. Just slice it and grill it for a few minutes per side until it's slightly charred.
  • If you don't have pine nuts, you can substitute another type of nut, such as almonds or walnuts.
  • To make the dish more flavorful, use a good quality olive oil and fresh herbs. You can also add a pinch of cumin or coriander to the lamb mixture.
  • Serve the dish with a side of rice or bread to soak up all the delicious sauce.

Conclusion:

This eggplant with lamb, tomato, and pine nuts is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. The lamb is tender and flavorful, the eggplant is soft and smoky, and the tomatoes and pine nuts add a touch of sweetness and crunch. Serve this dish with a side of rice or bread to soak up all the delicious sauce, and you'll have a meal that everyone will love.

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