An excellent side dish or vegetarian entrée. Eggplants are available year round, with the peak season during the months of August and September. This recipe was created for our 2 quart Chantal Talavera casserole. Halve the recipe if you plan on using the 1 quart casserole. Serve from the Talavera casserole as well.

Yield: Serves 8 as a side dish or 4 as an entrée

Ingredients 2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into cubes 2 Tablespoons salt 1 can artichoke hearts, quartered (14 ounces) 1 cup onion, chopped 4 Tablespoons olive oil 2 Tablespoons garlic, minced 1 can of diced tomatoes, in olive and garlic (14.5 ounces) 1 package of blanched almonds, toasted (2.5 ounces) 1/2 cup parsley, chopped, divided in half 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1 1/4 cups cheese (Mexican blend with 4 cheeses)

Method  

1. Peel and cut eggplants into cubes. Place into large bowl and salt them. Let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse and drain in colander. Pat dry.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. In large Chantal sauté pan over medium heat, add olive oil, eggplant, onions, artichoke hearts and garlic. Sauté 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat or turn off heat. Stir in tomatoes, 1/4 cup parsley, bread crumbs, pepper, cinnamon and cheese.

3. Place mixture in slightly oiled 2 quart Chantal Talavera casserole.

4. Top with toasted almonds and bake in 350° oven for 12-15 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining parsley on top.

6. Serve warm and bubbly.