Eggplant Rollatini

June 22, 2015

Eggplant Rollatini




I have the distinct feeling my Macbook Pro is going to die soon.
I purchased it in September 2008. So I know it is old, but everything works perfectly fine — except for the battery which died after two years and that was about it.
However, two months ago I started getting tons of freezing.
It happens sporadically and it doesn’t seem to be a direct result of me doing anything in particular. The screen will just suddenly spaz out and then the whole Macbook will freeze up.
Every time that happens, I freak out.
I religiously back-up to an external drive with Time Machine every week, so I felt pretty good about not losing any data. Still, I freak out as it feels like the laptop is going to explode or something.
Other than the freezing, the Macbook works perfectly. It is not slow, but the fan starts to run continually, about 1 minute after start-up, and very loudly too.
It feels like the laptop is about to take-off or that it’s hyperventilating.

Eggplant Rollatini





I took it to the Apple store where one of their “geniuses” looked at it like it was some sort of dinosaur bone and said “Man, this Macbook is old, I haven’t seen one of those in years. You should get a new one!
He was so annoying, I took off with my (old fart) Macbook, got home and did what any man does in such a situation: cooking.
Nah, just kidding.
I went for a run first and then I started cooking.
That’s how I roll.





So I made these Eggplant Rollatini.
It’s nothing too fancy or complicated.
Just some eggplant slices, stuffed with a [sort of] Bolognese sauce, topped with tomato sauce and a bit of mozzarella.
Very easy, very delicious.
Just what I needed.
Oh btw, in the meantime I ordered a new MacBook. Because the freezing is getting out of hand and apparently there’s very little I can do about. Bummer.

Eggplant Rollatini                                                                                                          Print this recipe!

Ingredients
Serves 6

2 large firm eggplants, cut into ½-inch slices
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ lb / 226 gr ground beef (I used 80/20)
Fine grain salt and black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
6 oz fresh mozzarella, grated

Directions

Heat broiler and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Brush both sides of eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt.
Arrange slices on prepared baking sheet and broil in batches until they are deep brown, turning once halfway through, about 5 to 7 minutes per side.
Adjust the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and place a rack in the middle.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil over medium heat.
Add onion and sauté until translucent, but not browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add ground beef, stirring frequently and breaking up meat into very small pieces with the side of a metal spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
Sauté until meat is just cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Add 1 cup of tomato sauce and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every now and then. Take a taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Lightly grease a baking dish.
Spread ½ cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish.
Place a scant tablespoon of the beef mixture on one end of the eggplant slices and roll up tightly.
Place the eggplant rollatini in the baking dish, seam side down. Continue with remaining eggplant slices.
Evenly distribute the remaining tomato sauce on top of the eggplant rollatini. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Uncover and bake for further 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
Serve warm!

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 368 calories, 25 grams of fat, 19 grams of carbs, and 20 grams of protein.

24 comments:

  1. Bummer about the computer, Mike. Mine has also been making some strange whirring noises lately, and it often takes forever to load pages if I have more than 1 tab open. I'm thinking it's about time to upgrade since I got this bad boy about the same time that you did. It's no fun writing blog posts on a computer that is about to take flight. But in the meantime, I'll be cooking dinner...starting with this amazing looking rollatini! Well done on the comfort food front, Alpha! #WolfpackComputerRepairs

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When I edit images on Photoshop the laptop sounds like a A380 about to take off, I swear it's that loud.
      Hopefully the new one will be silent as a stone!

      Delete
  2. Cooking is the best therapy for life's frustrations, isn't it? This looks delicious! Every time you post an eggplant recipe, it seems I have one on the counter just waiting to be used, lol. :-)

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    Replies
    1. Coking is the best therapy for almost anything, right?

      Delete
  3. I also back up mine every week (more like every 10 days) - I've had so many issues with computers it's not even funny...

    good luck with your new toy!

    loved the recipe, I happen to have a gorgeous eggplant in the fridge, but was going to use it for an egg parmigiana, now you are tempting me....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Issues with computers are such a pain. They happen all of sudden, without any warning, that's why they're so upsetting!

      Delete
  4. Freezing computers are no fun - especially when you are on a roll - writing wise - though, these eggplant rolls are pretty fantabulous too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I use Google Docs to write post, so even if the computer freezes the file is safe on some server in the desert or something.
      But when it freezes while I'm editing pictures, then it's a whole different story...

      Delete
  5. Hi Mike, you may want to consider changing your hard drive instead of buying a new one? My Mac is pretty old too, but it functions amazingly (boots up in under 20 seconds!) after I changed the hard drive late last year. It's a lot more affordable too than bringing it into the store.

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    Replies
    1. I changed the hard drive last year but to be honest there were no major improvements. I think it's time to let this MacBook go...

      Delete
  6. Ummmm, they don't sound so "Genius" to me! So annoying! At least you've got this Eggplant Rollatini amazingness to comfort you - yum! Pinned :)

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  7. Hi Mike I have a hp touch screen and the fan comes on all the time, I took it back to the micrsoft store and they said it is what it is. What it is.....is irritating. Anyway, bought some eggplant today will be making this in the next day or so. Thanks!

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  8. um....I think they need to reconsider the definition of 'genius'. I can never sense it. These look amazing mate- Was drooling when I saw it on Insta!

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  9. Mine is going to die soon too, Mike. To be honest I am a really horrible owner so it could have died a few years ago. But it's still running, without its battery; sometimes too slowly, with all those freezings and being overheated. I'm kind of proud of it! And I'm proud of you too since you've got the really awesome stuff! I'm totally fine note eating fancy when it comes to eggplant. Who would anticipate eggplant being fancy, eh? But you nailed it - not only do the flavors great, but it looks also great! Nice job!

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    Replies
    1. Your computer is quite the trooper, sounds like you're a worst owner than me. Ha! :)

      Delete
  10. This is exactly the sort of comfort food I'd need if my computer was freezing up! Computer problems drive me crazy, mine was freezing up not long ago and since it was under warranty I ended up with a bunch of new parts, but that's a real bummer that they can't fix yours - no one has the parts to repair things anymore, it's kinda sad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So computer issues trigger comfort food cravings...
      We should do some research on the topic, maybe there's something to it!

      Delete
  11. Hope you're enjoying your new laptop! Computer problems stress me out so much (more than they should...maybe). I'm starving right now and could tooootally use a large serving of this eggplant rollatini!!

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  12. I can't agree with you more on how the old stuff gets disrespected. I took my fit bit last weekend, it's just a year old and the guy say..'this is an old model'..seriously. My ipods are another story..pain in the ass.
    Oh well, food like this sure will calm us and comfort us. Looks so good. I wish I stayed close by, would definitely hop on over for some healthy deliciousness.

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  13. I made this dish for my family last night and was surprised by haw simple it was. Between the three of us I was able to make enough for us and save the leftovers for 3 more servings in the refrigerator to bake at a later date. It's great severed over capellini. It is also really simple to modify the filling so you can add veggies or anything else that goes well with eggplant.

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  14. Eggplant Rollatini is one of my all time favorite dishes, and this one surpassed my expectations. This takes time, but we'll worth it. My family loved it, too.

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