After making Minty Watermelon, Cucumber & Feta Salad last week, we had some leftover mint. By “some leftover mint,” I really mean, “Did this package of mint grow exponentially more mint?” I feel like it’s pretty much impossible to use all the mint in a package and even more impossible to use all the mint that most people grow. We didn’t want to waste any of the fresh herbs, so I was exploring Pinterest this weekend for a dish that would put these ingredients to good use. After awhile I found this recipe that not only required minimal shopping, using up the mint and feta, but also a mostly hands-off and healthy dinner for tonight! We were really happy with how this turned out. It’s light, but filling and flavorful! Thanks Pinterest (and Live Eat Learn) 🙂
Mint & Feta Topped Eggplant
(Adapted from Live Eat Learn blog)
Ingredients:
- 1 large eggplant
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 3 heaping tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup feta cheese, chopped
- 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice eggplant in half. Slice through the flesh on the diagonal, creating a cross-hatch pattern. Don’t slice all the way through; stop before reaching the skin.
- Brush the eggplant with 1 tbsp of olive oil and top with a few turns of fresh ground black pepper. Roast for 35 minutes in the oven.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining olive oil, mint, garlic, and lemon juice.
- After the 35 minutes, slide out the eggplant and brush the mint mixture on top. Return to the oven for just another minute or two to warm.
- Serve topped with the chopped feta and sprinkled with Aleppo pepper.
