Moroccan Steak and Vegetables

Life has just exploded this week. I don’t know how I fool myself into thinking that every summer break will end with me being super accomplished and organized for the next semester. It never happens that way. I always slide into each semester like I’m being hit by a bus.

Thankfully, and I’m excited to say, that this is my LAST semester of grad school! A masters degree is just a few short but arduous months from now! Think I’m mouthy and opinionated now? Just wait till I have that paper. I kid, I kid.

I’ve been craving chickpeas and eggplant lately. I’ve seen them in recipes all over the web and felt like throwing tossing them with other veggies and a little steak. Basically another “fix it and forget it” sort of meal that requires little time and minimal neurons. I’m trying to reserve them.

Such pretty colors in this meal. I couldn’t help but admire them against our “OMG it’s BLUE!!!” countertop. Almost looks as if the pan is floating in the ocean doesn’t it?

Roasting then in the oven makes your kitchen smell SO good. Hey Yankee Candle, how about a Moroccan spice scent? I would definitely buy it.

Ingredients:

8-12 oz. steak, pounded thin
1 large eggplant, cut into chunks
12 small vine tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon of salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon ground pepper (to taste)
Head of garlic, with cloves separated and quartered
3 tablespoons olive oil
Dash of balsamic vinegar
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons harissa paste
Handful fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the steak, eggplant, tomatoes, cumin seeds, garlic, olive oil and vinegar in a roasting tin (a glass baking dish works too), season and roast for 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
3. Spoon into a bowl and toss with the chickpeas, harissa and parsley. Serve with flatbreads.

You can serve it by itself or on a bed of rice, it tastes great either way. The first night we served without, and the second we threw (not literally) about a cup of prepared rice in each bowl and it acted as matchmaker to kind of rekindle the juices and the veggies. We served it with Flatout bread, have you ever had it. AWESOME! Another one of those things you pass a million times in the grocery store before you finally buy it, and then you kick yourself for not having done so sooner. I can only describe it as the halfway point of tortillas and pita bread.

I just can’t believe it’s the last weekend of summer. I feel like there is so much to do, and so much I want to do before Monday. Dog park? House projects? Cleaning? Design? Yes to all of the above, well begrudgingly to cleaning. I’m finally almost finished with our latest house project too, I can’t wait to share it with you on Monday!

What are your plans this weekend?