This delish recipe came to life in the 1950’s in Tel Aviv. Traditionally a breakfast sandwich, it was named “sabich” after the Arabic word for “morning”. Observant Jews who followed the rule to not cook after sundown on Friday could prepare all components of this sandwich in advance, and then eat it before heading to temple on Saturday morning. Today this sandwich has moved beyond breakfast & is eaten at any time of day. From my perspective it makes a wonderfully light & tasty summer dinner. To boost the protein content, I added lamb gyro meat to my sandwich. Israeli Roast Eggplant, Hummus & Pickle Sandwiches are perfect for hot evenings because everything can be served room temp!
Makes 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 lg potato
- salt & pepper
- 1 med eggplant, sliced 1/2″ thick
- 3 T olive oil (plus more for brushing)
- 1 cucumber, peeled, halved & cut into 1/2″ dice
- 1 lg tomato, cut into 1/2″ dice
- 1 lg jalapeno, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 T cilantro, chopped
- 2 T parsley, chopped
- 1/4 c feta cheese
- 2 T lemon juice
- 4 pita pockets or flat breads
- Hummus (any flavor)
- 4 lg eggs, hard-boiled & sliced (see NOTE below)
- Lamb gyro meat (pre-cooked), heated (optional)
- 4 small pickles, thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 425° deg. Place potato in small saucepan & cover with 2″ water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to med & cook until potato is just tender, about 20 min. Drain & let cool, then peel potato & slice it 1/4″ thick. Season with salt.
Arrange eggplant slices on a rimmed baking sheet & brush both sides with olive oil. Season with salt & bake until browned & tender, about 10 min.
Place cucumber, tomato, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, parsley & feta in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice & 3 T of olive oil & season with salt & pepper.
Open pita pockets or place flat breads on plate. Spread with hummus. Layer bread with potato slices, eggplant, egg, gyro meat (if using) & cucumber-tomato salad. Top with pickle slices & serve.