Cheese – topped beef and eggplants

When I refer to eggplants, I am referring to the common oriental eggplant that is six to ten inches long and a deep purple in color. Do they taste any different from the shorter but rounder variety? I really don’t know. I have never tried cooking the short round ones since they are not very common in the Philippines. Whenever I see them in supermarkets, they are always more expensive than the common long variety. I have read too many cookbooks with instructions to sprinkle the eggplants with salt and to squeeze out the water to remove the bitterness. It is a procedure that I have never found necessary. The eggplants commonly sold in Philippine markets are not bitter. In fact, they are rather sweet.

In Asia alone, there are already quite a number of varieties of eggplants. Hundreds of varieties are grown around the world. Colors range from white, purple, purple-black, green, orange-red, and striped. They can be can be as small as a grape or a big as a football. They might be pear-shaped, round, or elongated and skinny. All varieties share a common characteristic though–they absorb lots of oil. This is precisely the reason why I opted to try making this baked beef and eggplants dish with boiled, instead of pan fried, eggplants.

Ingredients :

3-5 eggplants, depending on their size
1/2 k. of ground sirloin
2 tbsps. of finely minced garlic
3-4 tomatoes, chopped
2 pcs. of pimientoes (canned), finely chopped
2 white onions, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/8 c. of tomato paste
1/2 tsp. of dried basil (or 1 tsp. of finely chopped fresh basil)
4-5 tbsps. of olive oil
1 c. of grated or crumbled soft mild cheese
salt and pepper

Cooking procedure :

Cook the eggplants in simmering water until soft but not mushy. Cool and peel off the skins leaving the tops intact. Flatten the bodies with the back of a fork and arrange them side by side on the bottom of a baking dish.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Saute the garlic until fragrant. Add the ground beef and cook until lightly browned. Add the onions, tomatoes, pimientoes, basil and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft. Add the tomato paste and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaf.

Pour the ground beef mixture over the eggplants. Top with the grated cheese. Bake in a 400^o oven for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese starts to melt and the eggplants are heated through.

Serve hot.