Briami is a traditional Greek dish of baked vegetables. It's a simple mix everything & bake dish. Ideal for a healthy weeknight dinner ready in less than an hour. Or as a quick and easy side dish along with your main meal.
Summer is here now and what's most exciting about it, (other than the warm weather) is that you (and I) can finally dig into luscious summer salads and veggie dishes.
And this veggie dish has it all... Eggplants, zucchinis, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, onions, peppers, and garlic. All mixed together with a small amount of tomato sauce, fresh thyme, dried oregano, and fresh parsley.
Briami is one of the best summer dishes along with Stuffed Tomatoes & Peppers and delicious Greek Salads (stomach growling just at the thought of them).
Seasonality Is Key
Now, why am I talking about eating those dishes in the warm summer months? (Spring and autumn can be good also) Because seasonality plays a key role when cooking dishes based on vegetables.
Zucchinis, eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers need warmth and sun to thrive and become juicy and truly delicious.
Attempting to make this dish in the middle of the winter, will produce a very bland dish that: will have you complaining, and me saying: thanks but I wouldn't eat that either.
Other than flavor, seasonality plays a very important role in eating healthier produce. I mean think about it how many chemicals and god knows what that poor tomato went through, in order to grow unnaturally in the middle of winter?
That's why we always prefer to cook and eat seasonally in Greece.
How To Make Briami
It's going to be one of the easiest dishes you will ever make! And because it's so easy I'm sure you're going to make it again and again. All you have to do is cut all the veggies into bite-sized pieces mix them well with extra virgin olive oil, and a small amount of tomato sauce (Passata), and bake.
The only other thing you'll have to do is, to stir and flip the veggies while they bake. This helps them to cook more evenly and to create a delicious blend of flavors.
Do this after the first 30 minutes of baking. And then every other 15-20 minutes approximately. Or mix and flip, once you see the veggies getting too much color on the top.
Enjoy!
Recipe
Briami - Greek Vegetable Bake (Vegan, Gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized (900 grams) eggplants
- 3 medium-sized (625 grams) zucchinis
- 2 medium-sized (180 grams) sweet red peppers
- 1 large (130 grams) green bell pepper
- 1 medium-sized (140 grams) red onion
- 4-5 large garlic cloves
- 2 large (550 grams) potatoes
- 3 medium-sized (275 grams) carrots
- 1 medium-sized (175 gram) ripe tomato
- a handful of fresh parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup (65 grams) tomato sauce
- 60 grams extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 392°F.
- Cut the eggplants, zucchinis, and peppers into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large mixing bowl.
- Cut the garlic in half or into 3 pieces if the garlic cloves are too large. Peel the potatoes and cut them into slightly smaller pieces than the other vegetables. Place in the bowl as well.
- Cut the onions and tomatoes into even smaller bite-sized pieces. Peel and cut the carrots into thick slices. Add to the bowl along with all other remaining ingredients and seasonings.
- Season with salt and pepper. Mix and toss everything for 2 minutes and then transfer to a 25 x 30 cm (10 x 12-inch) baking dish or pan.
- Add 60 ml of water to the pan as well.
- Bake for about 30 minutes. Then take the pan out of the oven and flip and stir the vegetables gently. Place the pan back in the oven. Then repeat stirring at 15 to 20 minute intervals until all veggies have cooked nicely all around. Overall cooking time takes about 50-60 minutes. NOTE: The stirring helps to cook the vegetables evenly so the ones at the top won't burn. It also helps the mixing of flavors.
- Let the food sit for 15 minutes before serving. Then you may serve it together with a big piece of feta and some crusty bread!
Nutrition
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