Dinner Tonight: Morrocan/Middle Eastern-Inspired Meal

This past weekend, I went home for a few days, and probably the best part of being home for the weekend (aside from showering in a private bathroom without flip flops) was going to the Grower's Market on Saturday. I picked up some sharp cheddar cheese and fresh apple cider for my dad, and shopped around for me: Some of Highland Farms' excellent French feta sheep cheese; North Star Orchards' sweet, crunchy Empire apples; and a honkin' big head of cauliflower. I admit, I was also tempted by exotic, three-foot stalks covered in brussels sprouts. Because they are a special horror to my mother, I have made it to 21 years old without ever having been confronted with a brussels sprout, and thanks to a recent post on Simply Recipes I am eager to try them.

Sunday I drove back to school (and learned on the way that in New York there is a maximum IQ for drivers licenses) with the cheese, the last apple, and half the head of cauliflower in tow. The money on my meal plan has been dwindling, along with my patience for the terrible food at school. So, what do you do when confronted with half a head of cauliflower and an eggplant brought by a visiting friend that's moving to punkyville? You make dinner, of course.

My starting point was the cauliflower. My favorite way to eat cauliflower is roasted; toss it in olive oil, season however you want, and roast in the oven around 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until tender and delicious. Cauliflower and eggplant together remind me of Morrocan cuisine (a strange association since I've never actually had Morrocan cuisine, just read about it) so I lightly seasoned the cauliflower with cumin, chili powder, and a tiny touch of garlic.

I admit my continued cluelessness about Morrocan food, but that doesn't mean I'm not enthusiastic. The eggplant dish, which I jumped into with both feet, came out serentipitously well. If you know what Morrocan food is like, tell me if this bears any resemblance at all to it, please:

Roasted Eggplant Somethingy

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1-2 T olive oil

Cumin, chili powder, garlic or other seasonings to taste

1 c large bread crumbs. (We had some stale ciabbata bread that was absolutely perfect.)

1 small can tomato paste

1 large can diced tomatoes (or 2-3 medium tomatoes, diced)

Toss the eggplant in olive oil; add spices. Add bread crumbs, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes and toss until uniform. Since I cook college style, I laid out a large sheet of tin foil, laid the eggplant mixture on it, and wrapped it up. (Not because I'm lazy but because I only have one pan.) You can put yours in a casserole and cover it. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes or until the eggplant is tender.

I also served this with roasted red peppers, hummus from the dining hall salad bar, and rice. (Couscous or pita bread might have been more appropriate, but I had rice, and it's not like they sell couscous or pita bread on campus.) I got to share this with my roommates and a friend who is starting to starve because of the absurdly high prices of food on campus. There were almost no leftovers, just a little bit of eggplant left in the foil because we all filled up on cauliflower, rice, and red peppers with hummus. Yum. ^_^