Bonus Post: Eggplant Rolls

I am really digging the German cooking magazine 'Meine Familie & Ich'. So far in the January edition I've made two things I like (which is a higher success ratio than I usually get from Martha), and it always includes a bonus insert of additional recipes that include time to make and price per serving.

I made these eggplant roles last night to general acclaim - and in fact this recipe took 2nd place in some contest judged by Jamie Oliver:

700 g tomatoes (a bit over a lb - I only had 3 small tomatoes so I used them plus a small jar of spaghetti sauce)
1 red chili pepper (I used 3 Italien cherry peppers to use them up)
1 yellow pepper
2 garlic cloves (I used garlic salt instead)
Salt, Pepper
2 eggplants
Mint (I didn't have any, unfortunately, but it was still really good)
30 grams pine nuts (that's like a generous handful)
1 onion
2 pieces of toast
100g feta cheese (about half a package, maybe a bit more than half)
300 g hamburger (I think about half a pound)
1 egg

If you're using fresh tomatoes boil them and take the skin off and lose the seeds and chop small. In my case I just cut my 3 smallish tomatoes in half and tossed them in a large bowl and dumped the spaghetti sauce on top.

Chop your spicy pepper in small strips and your yellow pepper in 1-inch chunks and add them to the bowl. Then either mince your fresh garlic or do what I did and dump some garlic salt over it. Add 2 tbs oil and stir ingredients, let them marinate for a few minutes and pour into a baking dish BEFORE you make the eggplant rolls.

Cut washed eggplant lengthwise into thin slices that you can use to roll later and lightly grill them in a non-stick pan with whatever oil is needed. I did two batches in a large frying pan and used about 4 tbs each time. I also sprinkled them with salt while frying. When they're done put them on paper towels to de-oil a bit.

Now mix the filling. Roast the pine nuts gently with no oil and put in a new bowl. Cut onions small and add to bowl. Ditto with the toast and feta. Add a handful of chopped mint (optional), hamburger and egg and mix it all up. Now you're ready to make the rolls.

Take a strip of eggplant and put a generous teaspoon of hamburger glop on it and roll it up. Continue until you're out of eggplant.

Bake at 200 C or 400 F for about 35 minutes or until the rolls look nicely browned on top.

Serve with warm bagette and red wine.