Grilled Cauliflower and Eggplant with Labneh and Green Chili Oil

Name: Grilled Cauliflower and Eggplant with Labneh and Green Chili Oil
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 16 ounces labneh (find instructions for homemade labneh here); Zest of 2 lemons; 2 small cloves garlic, grated; Salt, to taste; 1 cup extra virgin olive oil; 4 green onions, very thinly sliced; 2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced; 4 serranos, thinly sliced; ½ cup mint leaves, chopped; 2 tablespoons crushed chili flakes; Small handful almond slivers (or, alternatively, chopped cashews, pine nuts, or sesame seeds); Salt, to taste; 1 large eggplant, cut into ½ inch rounds; 1 cauliflower, cut into ¾ inch slabs; Extra virgin olive oil, for grilling; Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste; 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for garnish

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Makes 3 to 4 servings, plus leftovers 1x

Time 45 minutes

Scale

Ingredients

For the labneh:

16 ounces labneh (find instructions for homemade labneh here)
Zest of 2 lemons
2 small cloves garlic, grated
Salt, to taste

For the green chili oil:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 green onions, very thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
4 serranos, thinly sliced
1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons crushed chili flakes
Small handful almond slivers (or, alternatively, chopped cashews, pine nuts, or sesame seeds)
Salt, to taste

For the vegetables:

1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
1 cauliflower, cut into 3/4 inch slabs
Extra virgin olive oil, for grilling
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the labneh: In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine labneh, lemon zest, grated garlic, and a pinch of salt. Taste, and add more salt if needed. Set aside.
Prepare the green chili oil: Heat olive oil in a small sauce pan until shimmering and very hot, but not smoking. Add green onions, garlic, serranos, mint, chili flakes, almond slivers, and salt to a heat proof bowl. Carefully pour the hot oil over everything—it should be sizzling. Allow to cool, stir, taste, add more salt if needed, and set aside.
Grill the vegetables: Preheat a cast iron grill or pan over high heat. Using a brush, oil the grill or pan lightly. Place the eggplant rounds on the grill or pan, brush a little more oil on the tops, and season with salt and pepper. After 3 minutes, use tongs to check if the bottoms have developed char marks. If not, leave them as they are for another minute or two. Otherwise, flip the eggplant, brush with more oil if needed, and cook for another 2 minutes or so, or until slightly softened. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Repeat the same steps for the cauliflower slabs, though they’ll take a little longer to become tender—use tongs to flip the cauliflower every few minutes for an even and dark char. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add a generous amount of vegetables to a serving plate. Add green chili oil, a large spoonful of labneh, and squeeze or wedge of lemon. Store leftover labneh and green chili oil in the fridge and use for up to 1 week.