One of the questions we get asked the most when people find out we're from another country, is if we miss our family. And of course, the answer is always a big fat YES!
As most of you know by now, our parents live in Spain and our sister, Rebeca, lives in Israel. As for the rest of our close family, they are spread out all over the world. It is really hard for all of us to get together, but when we do, it's a true celebration!
We were really lucky to have our sister living here in the US at one point... And maybe then we took it for granted: the frequent gatherings at a coffee shop, the Friday night dinners, the daily phone calls, the free babysitting services, the Saturday night get-togethers, the silly unstoppable laughs for no apparent reason... Yeah life was good ....
As sisters, the three of us have a true connection. We trust each other unconditionally. And even if we get mad at each other, which rarely happens, we know it won't last last too long. That's something really special that we are very fortunate to have.
After our sister Rebeca moved to Israel with her husband and son, one of the things things we missed the most about not having them here, was (and still is) our weekly friday night dinners. We would all take turns hosting, but every single week, Rebecca and her husband Haim would prepare the most amazing assortment of little appetizer salads. So good, fresh, hearty and mouthwatering, that by the time the main course came out, everyone was totally full. But nothing ever went to waste, because we got together again on Saturday for lunch!
One of the salads that was everyone's favorite, was this eggplant and pickle salad. It is so unique and delicious that we named it Haim's salad, because no one prepared it as he did.
Haim's Salad became so popular amongst family and friends, that we decided to make it a meal in itself... in sandwich form. Because let's face it, even the most delicious dish becomes even better once you add crusty bread to it, doesn't it??
You can serve this open faced sandwich as a lunch entree for one, and also makes a great appetizer for two!
Hope you enjoy it!
Vicky and Ruth
Open Faced Eggplant Salad Sandwich
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 2-4 1x
Ingredients
- 3 Japanese Eggplants, diced (about 3 cups)
- 2 red bell peppers, diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 5 Israeli style pickles (or 12-15 cornichons), chopped (about 1 cup)
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ¼ tsp hot paprika
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 ciabbata bread rolls, sliced in half
- 4 eggs
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Place diced eggplant in a colander with 1 teaspoon of salt with a bowl under, and let sit for at least 15 minutes
- In the meantime, heat vegetable oil in a large non stick skillet. Add 1 cup of diced red peppers and cook for about 5 minutes at medium heat.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove peppers from oil and transfer to a large plate, lined with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Add the remaining peppers to the skillet and repeat the process
- Add diced eggplant to the skillet (should have oil left) and cook for about 10 minutes, until tender
- in a large bowl, combine peppers and eggplant. Add chopped pickles, cumin, sweet and hot paprika and vinegar. Mix well and set aside in the fridge for at least 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to develop
- Right before serving, lightly toast all four slices of ciabbata bread. Cook the eggs, one at a time, sunny side up, on a non stick skillet generously coated with cooking spray (for a well done yolk, cook covered)
- To assemble the sandwich, spoon ¼ of the eggplant salad on each slice of bread and top with sunny side up egg
Notes
Eggplant salad can me made ahead This recipe yields 2 sandwiches, that can serve 2 as an entree or 4 as an appetizer
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Sandwich
- Cuisine: Kosher / Middle Eastern
ENJOY! From May I have that recipe
cindele
OH this is soooooooooooooooooooo yummy! The best sandwich ever! Loved hearing about your sisterhood..so beautiful. Thank you for bringing your stories to us.
Vicky & Ruth
This salad brings us such warm memories... Let us know what you think when you try it!
susan
That looks SO amazingly tasty! Thanks for sharing the recipe - it will be on the Try This list! LOL!
mjskit
Whenever I see something with an egg on top, I have to check it out. I'm so glad I saw this over at Dailybuzz! What a fabulous sandwich!!! Eggplant salad is one of my favorites and I love the way you took a simple side dish and turned it into a delicious hearty, and healthy meal!