Israeli Roast Eggplant, Hummus, and Pickle Sandwiches

With the Lenten season among us, we, at Jerry’s Kitchen, are gearing our recipes to feature a few more meatless dishes for you to try making at home. But, these recipes are not just meant for Lent, but for all times of the year. They are healthy, delicious, and satisfying!

Photo credit: FoodandWine.com

Ingredients:

• 1 large baking potato
• salt
• 1 medium eggplant, sliced ½ inch thick
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
• 1 large tomato, cut into ½-inch dice
• 1 large jalapeno, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• freshly ground pepper
• 4 think, sturdy pita breads, warmed
• 1 cup hummus
• ¼ cup tahini, at room temperature
• 4 large hard-cooked eggs, sliced
• 4 small dill pickles, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a small saucepan, cover the potato with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Cook over moderate heat until just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool, then peel the potato and slice it 1/4 inch thick. Season the potato slices with salt.
2. Arrange the eggplant slices on a rimmed baking sheet and brush both sides with olive oil. Season with salt and bake for about 10 minutes, until browned and tender.
3. In a large bowl, add the cucumber, tomato, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro and parsley. Toss with the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Cut off 2 inches from the side of the warm pitas in order to make openings in the pockets. Gently open the pitas. Spread the hummus on the bottoms and 1 tablespoon of tahini over it. Layer the potato slices, eggplant, egg and cucumber-tomato salad in the pitas, along with some of the salad juices. Top with the pickle slices and serve.

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At Butcher & Bee in Charleston, S.C., owner Michael Shemtov and chef Stuart Tracy prepare this messy, incredibly tasty vegetarian sandwich, called a sabich, with vegetables, hummus, house-baked pita and herbs from a garden right behind the restaurant. “Thesabich is Iraqi-Israeli, just like me,” Shemtov says. “It’s a personal dish.”

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