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Olympic Gold: Mediterranean Eggplant Rolls

July 25 by Priscilla 29 Comments

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Eggplant Rolls with Yogurt Cheese, boureki

Only 2 more days until the 2012 London Olympic Games 27!  And, in honor of all that the Olympic games inspire, this month’s Five Star Makeover Challenge is a Greek meze roundup. The epitome of Greek style entertaining is the meze (meh-ZEH) table – a traditional gathering place – warm, inviting, and always casual. It is an atmosphere where the plates are communal, the conversation is spirited, and the pace is leisurely. Translated literally, the word meze means a taste or a bite. It is used to describe small plates of savory snacks that are served as a complement to drinks – most often the anise-flavored aperitif ouzo (OO-zoh).

There are many different types of mezethes and the menu will vary according to locale. This style of entertaining encourages people to come and join the party. So grab a fork and have a seat! In the list of suggested Greek meze for the Challenge, Boureki (described as eggplant rolls) immediately caught my eye as I’m a big fan of eggplant. My web search turned up more recipes for boureki as a layered zucchini and potato baked dish with myzithra like the recipe Evelyne posted after her trip to Crete.

Karoun yogurt cheese, Gourmet Garden herbs, Myzithra cheese

Myzithra (mee-ZEETH-rah) is a Greek cheese made from the whey of Feta and Kefalotiri. Fresh myzithra has a soft, creamy consistency similar to ricotta.  It is also available aged into a very dense, hard white cheese that is suitable for fine grating and what I used in my Eggplant Boureki along with a Greek yogurt cheese called Labne which has a distinctive tangy flavor and is smoother and thicker than yogurt. Preferring grilled eggplant wrapped around a savory stuffing for our meze table, these elegant, party-worthy eggplant rolls bring together culinary influences from Greece, Italy in the arrabbiata-style sauce, and North Africa in the nuts and dried fruits in the stuffing.

boureki, Eggplant Rolls, ShesCookin.com

 

Print
Olympic Gold: Mediterranean Eggplant Rolls
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 
For your Olympic meze table: elegant and party-worthy grilled eggplant wrapped around a savory, yogurt cheese stuffing showcases culinary influences from Greece, Italy in the arrabbiata-style sauce, and North Africa in the nuts and dried fruits of the creamy stuffing.
Servings: 12 -18 appetizer servings
Ingredients
  • 3 medium eggplant stems removed, sliced in half lengthwise, then into six 1/2 inch slices, discard thin end pieces that are mostly skin
  • 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil divided use
  • 2 cups Greek-style Arrabbiata sauce recipe below
  • 1 cup Karoun Labne yogurt cheese*
  • 1 teaspoon Gourmet Garden oregano
  • 1 shallot diced
  • 2 cloves garlic pressed
  • 3 tablespoons dried cherries or currants
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts toasted
  • ½ cup finely grated Myzithra cheese*
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Sprigs of Italian parsley or basic optional
Greek-style Arrabbiata Sauce
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 5 cloves of garlic sliced into slivers
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 14-1/2 ounce cans diced tomatoes*
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 can tomato paste about 3 tablespoons
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil chiffonade
  • Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic sauté for one minute, stirring. Add the chili flakes, stir and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, brown sugar, cinnamon, tomato paste and water. Simmer for 15 minutes, breaking up the larger chunks of tomatoes. Stir in the basil. Best if covered and refrigerated for 6-8 hours to allow the flavors to develop.
Instructions
  1. Place eggplant slices on large rimmed baking sheet covered with paper towels. Lightly sprinkle with salt - or sodium-free salt substitute if on a restricted sodium diet (I used a product called AlsoSalt). Cover with another layer of paper towels and let stand for 20 minutes. This step draws out excess moisture so the eggplant will absorb less oil and stay firm when cooked.
  2. Preheat grill to medium-hot, then lower to medium or medium-low, depending on your grill, to grill the eggplant. Brush both sides of eggplant with olive oil, grill over indirect or low heat, turning once, halfway through, until softened and grill-marked, but not completely cooked, 10-15 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
  4. In a small saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Cook the shallots until softened, about a minute. Stir in the garlic, remove pan from heat. In a glass bowl, mix the yogurt cheese, oregano, garlic, shallots, cherries, and pine nuts. If using cherries, coarsely chop them - dried currants are fine as is.
  5. Lay the eggplant slices flat on a cutting board. Place a rounded teaspoon of the cheese mixture in the center of each slice. Carefully fold the eggplant ends over to enclose the cheese. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Place a spoonful of Greek-style Arrabbiata sauce on each roll. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes until heated through. Remove from oven. Uncover the dish, sprinkle eggplant rolls with Myzithra cheese and bake, uncovered, for another 5 minutes until cheese is browned. Remove from the oven. Serve hot, plated with extra sauce and garnished with basil or parsley sprigs, if desired.
Recipe Notes

*I was pleasantly surprised to find that Labne yogurt cheese is very low in sodium compared to most cheese - only 15 mg. per 2 tablespoons. Myzithra, on the other hand, has 580 mg. per 1.1 ounce, making it a very salty cheese. I used the Myzithra very sparingly and left half of the rolls without it - they disappeared just as quickly.

Enjoy 🙂

boureki, Eggplant Rolls with Yogurt Cheese

Pull up a chair and share this and the other fabulous mezes at the 5 Star Makeover Meze Table, now open here!

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Category Appetizers| Main Dish| She's Cookin' Tags Mediterranean Eggplant Rolls

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laura (Tutti Dolci)

    July 25 at 5:22 pm

    I love eggplant, these look so scrumptious!

    Reply
  2. Faith

    July 25 at 5:37 pm

    Eggplant is one of my favs but I don’t make it nearly often enough because my hubby doesn’t eat it! That’s ok, I need to make this — I wouldn’t mind having leftovers all week, it looks so good!

    Reply
  3. Shannon

    July 25 at 5:43 pm

    oh my, what a fabulous dish, or should i say gold-worthy 😉

    Reply
  4. [email protected]'s Kitchen

    July 25 at 7:28 pm

    I did something with eggplant too, but your meze looks way yummier with all that luscious sauce and cheese! So, so good and perfect for the Olympics meze party 😉

    Reply
  5. Patty

    July 25 at 9:48 pm

    Yummy eggplant! I would like more than a small plate though,lol! These look so scrumptious with all the sauce on top;-)

    Reply
  6. [email protected]

    July 26 at 4:28 am

    I loved learning about this new cheese and yes, I would grab a fork. I’m anything eggplant.

    Reply
  7. 5 Star Foodie

    July 26 at 9:15 am

    These rolls sound just excellent! I like the cherries and pine nuts here, super delicious!

    Reply
  8. Victoria

    July 26 at 10:47 am

    Great addition to the party! I love eggplant rolls as well, and I think your Greek style arrabbiata sauce is a fantastic touch!

    Reply
  9. [email protected]

    July 26 at 11:41 am

    Oh I really like this ‘boureki’, did not see the eggplant version. This looks so tasty. The choice of dried fruits and pine nuts really make this meze stand out too. Thanks for the mention 🙂

    Reply
  10. Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking

    July 26 at 8:02 pm

    i love eggplant and new ideas are always welcome. The rolls look delicious, will have to ask at the local cheese shop about the Greek cheese. never tried it before.

    Reply
  11. [email protected]'s Recipes

    July 26 at 9:23 pm

    This looks fantastic! Definitely a winning recipe!

    Reply
  12. Jen L @ Tartine and Apron Strings

    July 26 at 10:27 pm

    Totally worthy on a Greek table! Lovely recipe!

    Have a wonderful weekend, Priscilla!

    Reply
  13. Marisa

    July 27 at 7:04 pm

    So many authentic ingredients went into this. I think this dish deserves a gold metal for sure. 🙂

    Reply
  14. Gerry @ Foodness Gracious

    July 28 at 9:17 pm

    Umm, can I say tasty!! Fantastic looking dish and I love eggplant too..
    Thanks..

    Reply
  15. Terra

    July 28 at 9:36 pm

    This recipe looks really beautiful! I love your addition of dried cherries, that sweet and savory would be delicious:-) Hugs, Terra

    Reply
  16. deana

    July 29 at 8:17 am

    Good golly that looks good. I agree, the cherries are a brilliant addition to the tomato sauce. It must give it a great fullness. I love eggplant, but since Dr. Lostpast does not, I rarely make it. Maybe I’ll try a smaller size of this… it looks gorgeous.

    Reply
  17. Barbara | Creative Culinary

    July 29 at 6:04 pm

    I love Greek food even if the notion of making it seems daunting. Way to celebrate the ‘Greek’ way. I’ll have to be satisfied watching some boys swim. 🙂

    Reply
  18. Magic of Spice

    July 30 at 1:46 pm

    These look incredible! So why was I not invited to taste test? 🙂 And I love this sauce, will have to try these both out and soon! Gorgeous and delicious!

    Reply
  19. Tanantha

    July 30 at 2:27 pm

    Oh yogurt greek cheese — this is new to me! The folded cheese with layer of eggplant sounds really great. And,the sauce will be a great company to this eggplant in my mouth!

    Reply
  20. Joan Nova

    July 30 at 3:43 pm

    Drool worthy with lots of interesting flavor levels! You did a great job.

    Reply
  21. Lori Lynn

    July 31 at 8:24 am

    Oh, this sings to me. With the nuts and fruit stuffed in the eggplant and cinnamon in the sauce. Fabulous Priscilla! Great makeover indeed!
    LL

    Reply
  22. sippitysup

    July 31 at 10:25 am

    Cinnamon in the Arrabbiata! So enticing. GREG

    Reply
  23. Jamie

    July 31 at 10:51 am

    This looks amazingly delicious! Wow! I love the Greek twist on a dish that I know as Italian. And that Greek-style Arrabbiata Sauce is fabulous! This would make a meal in itself.

    Reply
  24. FreeSpiritEater

    August 3 at 7:46 am

    Wow. The presentation, the flavors, colors. I’m loving everything about this dish. Bravo! Magnificent job on the challenge =]

    Reply
  25. Stella

    September 15 at 9:50 pm

    i just had to pin this, i can never say no to eggplant. it looks and sounds so good!

    Reply
    • Priscilla

      September 16 at 10:45 am

      Hi Stella – I love everything eggplant, too. Thanks for leaving a comment and pinning 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Monday Motivation – Colorful Recipe Round Up | Linda Wagner says:
    March 25 at 9:47 am

    […]  These Mediterranean Eggplant Rolls look amazing!! You could probably substitute thinly sliced zucchini if you’re not an eggplant fan. […]

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  2. Roasted Eggplant Lentil Soup with Crispy Sage Leaves says:
    July 21 at 9:31 am

    […] Mediterranean Eggplant Rolls by she’s cookin’ […]

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    July 17 at 3:42 am

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