eggplant, olive and tomato cheesecake
Aren’t my cheesecake slices SO cute? I only realized after I took the photos (and ate all the slices) that the one of the right looks like a happy face :). Guys, trust me, once you try this recipe you’ll be smiling just as much as Mr. Happy Face. I could have a slice of this for breakfast, lunch or dinner and I’d be happy. Even Jon loved it, and mind you I’m talking about my husband who hates anything with melted cheese (and shhh…this one contains two different types).
Here’s another adaption of an Ottolenghi recipe that combines many of my favorite ingredients — tomatoes, black olives, feta, za’atar — to create a delectable vegetarian and crustless cheesecake. It’s a mix between an omelette and a quiche, cooked in a rectangular pan.
You’ll have to prepare it in two steps. Begin first by roasting the eggplant slices and then cook them once again with the eggs, cream cheese, heavy cream, feta, cherry tomatoes, black olives and oregano. Ottolenghi doesn’t include black olives in his recipe and uses two eggplants instead, but as I deeply adore olives and love how they taste with feta, I decided to throw them in. And I’m so glad I did.
If you’re running against the clock and don’t have time for two-step recipes, don’t worry! You can always roast the eggplants in the morning before work (or the day before) and then prepare the rest when you get back home. When hot out of the oven, brush the cheesecake with olive oil and za’atar to make it extra-savory and cut it up in squares. Serve it with a green salad and voilà, enjoy every bite!
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- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium eggplant, cut into thick half circles
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 150g cream cheese
- 3 eggs
- 150g feta, sliced into chunks
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 10 black olives, pitted
- ¼ cup fresh oregano leaves, torn
- 1 tablespoon za'atar
- Preheat oven to 395°F/200°C and line a baking tray with aluminium foil. Place the eggplant slices on top of the baking tray and brush 4 tablespoons of olive oil on top of them. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until completely soft and golden. Set aside and reduce oven temperature to 350°F/180°C.
- Line a rectangular baking tray with aluminium foil and brush it with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, eggs, feta and heavy cream until smooth and thick, about 5 minutes.
- Place the eggplant slices evenly across the baking tray. Fill the remaining open spots with the halved cherry tomatoes, black olives and almost all of the torn oregano leaves. Pour the cheese mixture on top, making sure to leave some of the vegetables in sight. Decorate the top with the remaining oregano leaves and bake for 30 minutes until cooked through and golden.
- Let cool slightly. Combine the za'atar and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl and brush this topping over the cheesecake. Cut it into squares and serve warm.