Eggplant and Chickpea Pitas
These hearty sandwiches, which taste good hot or cold, are great options for busy weeknights when dining times are different for everyone in the family. You can also take leftovers as lunch the next day. Serve with a baby-spinach salad.
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These hearty sandwiches, which taste good hot or cold, are great options for busy weeknights when dining times are different for everyone in the family. You can also take leftovers as lunch the next day. Serve with a baby-spinach salad.
Ingredients
- 3 Japanese eggplants, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 Tbs. olive oil, divided
- 3/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 3/4 cup chopped red onion
- 3 Tbs. lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
- 1 Tbs. grated lemon zest
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- 8 pitted dates, thinly sliced (1/2 cup), optional
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, or one 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup (4 oz.) crumbled goat cheese, optional
- 4 6 1/2-inch round whole-wheat pita breads, warmed and halved
Preparation
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss eggplant with 2 Tbs. oil on large baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Roast 20 minutes, or until golden brown and tender, turning once or twice. Cool.
2 Stir together remaining 2 Tbs. oil, cilantro, onion, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, and coriander in medium bowl. Fold in dates, if using. Add chickpeas and eggplant, and toss to combine, then season with salt and pepper, if desired. Let filling stand 2 hours at room temperature.
3 Fold goat cheese into filling, if using.
4 Spoon generous ½ cup filling into each pita half.
Make-ahead instructions: Prepare pita filling through step 2, then refrigerate three to five days. Assemble pitas with optional goat cheese just before serving.
Nutrition Information
- Calories 384
- Carbohydrate Content 63 g
- Cholesterol Content 0 mg
- Fat Content 11 g
- Fiber Content 13 g
- Protein Content 13 g
- Saturated Fat Content 1 g
- Sodium Content 442 mg
- Sugar Content 9 g