Israeli Roast Eggplant, Hummus And Pickle Sandwiches

Update:  I had the eggplant, hummus, pickle and tomato/cucumber salad on a pita the next day for lunch and I loved it.  Maybe it was that it was all cold, or the sit over night melded the flavors of the salad,, but I thought it was a million times better the next day.


I had such high hopes for this dish.  So may of my favorite things are in it, and it wasn't bad, but the consensus around the table was that it was a 3.  I even went out and bought these Mediterranean pickles I had at a local Mediterranean restaurant to try and make it how it should be.  My issues, since it is my blog and I was the one poised to love it, were that it was a bit soggy, and therefore sloppy, and I thought the potato was useless.  I wouldn't bother with it next time.  I didn't make my own pita and I got the only "sturdiness" available, so that may be part of the issue.  There was flavor, but it didn't deliver like I had hoped.  That aside, we are spoiled with some really tasty recipes, and I wouldn't deter anyone from trying it.  It was an easy, vegetarian meal.  The most difficult part was the potato, but I say leave it out.  If you don't know how to do a perfect boiled egg, it is simple.  Put the eggs in a pan and cover with water.  Put on the stove on high heat and bring to a boil.  Once at a good boil, remove from heat and set a timer for 15 minutes.  When it goes off, they are done!  They are perfect and don't have that odd green tinge to the edge of the yolks!




Israeli Roast Eggplant, Hummus And Pickle Sandwiches

1    large baking potato
Salt
1    medium eggplant,sliced 1/2 inch thick
3 T  extra-virgin olive oil,plus more for brushing
1    cucumber—peeled,halved, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1    large tomato,cut into 1/2-inch dice
1    large jalapeño,minced
2    garlic cloves,minced
3 T  chopped cilantro
2 T  chopped parsley
2 T  fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper
4    thick,sturdy pita breads, warmed
1 c  hummus
1/4 c  tahini,at room temperature
4    large hard-cooked eggs sliced
4    small dill pickles,thinly sliced
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. Meanwhile, 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, jalapeo, 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 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.

The Pickles I Bought