Entertaining Harissa Traybake

No, it’s not entertaining in the sense that it will tell you jokes or perhaps dance for you, but rather: it can be easily prepared in advance, kept in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheated when needed as part of a spread when entertaining, leaving you more time to spend with your houseguests. 

Aside from its convenience, it is of course nutritious and delicious:

You will need

• 14 oz cherry tomatoes
• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
• 2 eggplants, cut into ¾” cubes
• 1 red onion, roughly chopped
• 1 bulb garlic
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp harissa paste
• 1 tbsp ras el-hanout
• 1 tsp MSG or 2 tsp low-sodium salt

Method

(we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

1) Preheat the oven to 400℉ / 200℃

2) Mix the onion, eggplant, and garlic (whole cloves; just peel them and put them in) with the olive oil in a mixing bowl, ensuring everything is coated evenly.

3) Add in 1 tbsp of the harissa paste, 1 tbsp of the ras-el hanout, and half of the MSG/salt, and again mix thoroughly to coat evenly.

4) Bake in the oven, in a walled tray, for about 30 minutes, giving things a stir/jiggle halfway through to ensure they cook evenly.

5) Add the cherry tomatoes to the tray, and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.

6) Mix the chickpeas with the other 1 tbsp of the harissa paste, the other 1 tbsp of the ras-el hanout, and the other half of the MSG/salt, and add to the tray, returning it to the oven for a final 10 minutes.

7) Serve hot, or set aside for later, refrigerating once cool enough to do so. When you do serve, we recommend serving with a yogurt, cucumber, and mint dip, and perhaps flatbreads (you can use our Healthy Homemade Flatbreads recipe):

Enjoy!

Want to learn more?

For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

• Eat More (Of This) For Lower Blood Pressure
• Lycopene’s Benefits For The Gut, Heart, Brain, & More
• Our Top 5 Spices: How Much Is Enough For Benefits?

Take care!