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.

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.