I came up with this over the weekend - very yummy, if i do say so myself!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Mediterranean Lamb & Eggplant with Feta
Recipe By :Michelle Zimmer
Serving Size : 8

Amount Measure Ingredient
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2 medium eggplants
salt
1 large onion -- chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 stick cinnamon
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 pound ground lamb
28 ounces tomatoes, canned -- italian plum, diced
1/2 cup feta cheese -- crumbled

Slice the eggplants into 1/4 inch slices. Salt generously & place in
colanders, weighint the slices down with a heavy bowl. Allow to stand at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute onion in large saucepan in two tablespoons of the olive oil, with the salt, pepper, & cinnamon stick, over medium heat until very soft & beginning to brown (about 10 min). Add the garlic, cumin, ground cinnamon, oregano & cayenne. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently so spices don't scorch. Add the lamb, breaking up any lumps; continue cooking, stirring frequently, until lamb is browned. Add the tomatoes, including juice, and continue to cook for 15 minutes. Season
with salt to taste.

Preheat oven to 375F. While lamb mixture is cooking, rinse eggplant slices, squeezing lightly to release water, & pat dry with paper towel. Spread the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in a 9x13 baking dish. Place about 3 tablespoons of the lamb mixture on the bottom of the dish.

Arrange half the eggplant slices in the dish, allowing to overlap slightly if needed. Spoon half the lamb mixture over the eggplant. Repeat the eggplant & lamb layers. Cover the baking dish with foil & bake for one hour. Remove the foil, sprinkle the crumbled feta over top & bake an additional 15 minutes, or until feta is melted & just beginning to brown.

Description:
"sort of turkish, sort of greek - settled on meditteranean as a truce"

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 305 Calories; 23g Fat (64.8%
calories from fat); 13g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 50mg
Cholesterol; 556mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 2
1/2 Vegetable; 3 1/2 Fat.

Serving Ideas : I served this with greek salad

Sounds delicious. I make a similar dish, but instead of slicing the entire eggplant, I scoop out the inside of the eggplant and leave the shell. I chop the inside of the eggplant into small pieces. Then, after sauteeing the lamb and spices, I add the chopped eggplant to the lamb mixture and sautee it all together until the eggplant gets soft. Once everything is all cooked, I stuff it back into the eggplant shells and bake it all together. I serve each person half a stuffed eggplant. It looks very impressive; company always oohs and aahs.

In addition to the seasonings you suggest, parsley is very good with lamb and eggplant.

If you try the version with stuffed eggplant shells, you have to leave a little bit of eggplant in the shell or they fall apart. If you think your guests are going to try to eat the shell (most don't), you also need to bake them a little before stuffing them so they are not raw.

This dish is great with a side of cucumber/yogurt salad.