So fire-up your grill and get ready to entice your family
with this delightful summertime recipe!
Christine Datian’s Grilled
Eggplant and Chopped Salad with Lemon - Mint Dressing
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant or 2-3 Japanese eggplant, sliced in ½-inch
pieces or chunks6-7 cups romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, radicchio, escarole, endive, kale and/or spinach (or any choice of lettuce or salad greens)
2-3 medium tomatoes, any variety, cut into chunks
1 large ripe avocado, diced or sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium red or green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 English cucumber, halved and sliced or diced (or 4 Persian cucumbers, sliced or diced)
3-4 green onions or spring onions, sliced or chopped
About 1 cup fresh chopped mint, dill, and Italian flat leaf parsley
Sliced black or Kalamata olives
2 to 3 pita bread rounds, cut into pieces
8 ounces feta or blue cheese, crumbled
Garnish options: Chopped
dried (or fresh) apricots, pomegranate seeds, and toasted, chopped walnuts and
pine nuts
Olive oil, salt and pepper (for eggplant on grill)Juice of 1 or 2 large lemons and the zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1 teaspoon crushed dried mint
1/2 teaspoon each coarse black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, and ground
cumin
Pinch of kosher salt (to taste)Pinch of sugar (optional)
Preparation:
1. In a
medium bowl or container, combine the salad dressing ingredients; check
seasonings, cover and chill before serving.
2. Pre-heat
grill for 10-15 minutes and grill eggplant on both sides until tender, about 8
to 10 minutes. Brush eggplant with a
little olive oil, salt and pepper as it grills.
Remove eggplant from the grill and set aside on a tray or plate.
3. In a
large bowl, toss the salad ingredients together, including the pita bread
pieces; add some dressing to taste, and toss again. Plate salad on four serving
plates; top with eggplant, additional salad dressing, cheese, and the chopped
apricots, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, and pine nuts as garnish.
Variations: Top this salad with choice of sliced grilled chicken,
lamb, pork or steak, if desired.
To see more of Christine’s recipes, go to:http://search.myrecipes.com/search.html?Ntt=datian or
http://www.thearmeniankitchen.com/
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/category/recipes/
Christine Vartanian Datian is a native of Fresno, California and lives in Las Vegas. She is a graduate of Fresno High School and California State University, Fresno (CSUF), and holds a Master of Arts Degree (MA) in Mass Communications. She has been published in Sunset and Cooking Light Magazines for over a decade and is regularly featured in the Armenian Mirror-Spectator Newspaper.
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/category/recipes/
Christine Vartanian Datian is a native of Fresno, California and lives in Las Vegas. She is a graduate of Fresno High School and California State University, Fresno (CSUF), and holds a Master of Arts Degree (MA) in Mass Communications. She has been published in Sunset and Cooking Light Magazines for over a decade and is regularly featured in the Armenian Mirror-Spectator Newspaper.
Not strictly related, but I saw a travel video (Yerevan) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiUT794BOnY which mentions and shows "Kovsakan Salad" (Beef, bell pepper, hot pepper, onion, greens, dressing, spices) and khurjin (Lamb, onion, bell pepper, tomato, sauce, spices, wrapped in lavash, almost like a pot pie). They look delicious and are praised in the video (which also thumbs through the menu at a Yerevan restaurant--very readable with the 'pause' button). Any information--or recipies!--would be welcome.
ReplyDeleteI sent your request to my culinary expert in Yerevan, to which she replied: "Kovsakan means Caucasus. I'm sure the dish is not Armenian.I think that is a creative dish; not traditional.
DeleteKHURJIN is also new a creation, it means parcel.
I have tried its vegetarian version once, which was fried vegetables, like a Chinese dish- all vegetables cut into strips & fried in oil, then wrapped in lavash, tied & baked in the oven.
I hope this is somewhat helpful.