I cannot express the amount of joy this recipe brings, especially during the winter months when served with a glass of red wine. There is something incredibly satisfying about communal eating. Years ago, an old friend of mine would always choose the same dish as me when we went to a restaurant because he thought it was wonderful to eat the same meal. While I do not practice this in my life now, the closest I come to it is when I make a dish like this, where we all eat together from the same pan, cut into pieces.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into very thin rings
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced into rings
• 1 large red onion, sliced into rings
• 1 cup parsley
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• Salt (to taste)
• ½ tsp 7 spice
• ¼ cup olive oil (divided into two)
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 whole chili pepper
• ¾ cup hot water

Instructions:

1. Cut the potatoes, tomatoes, and onion into very thin slices.
2. In a separate bowl, add the ground beef, spices, salt, parsley, breadcrumbs, and half of the olive oil. Mix well.
3. In a pan, make small round patties the same size as the vegetable rings. Place one beef patty, followed by a potato slice, an onion slice, and a tomato slice. Repeat until all ingredients are used.
4. In a small bowl, mix the tomato paste with the hot water until smooth. Pour the mixture over the meat and vegetables. Place the chili pepper on top or to the side for anyone who chooses to add some heat to their plate.
5. Bake at 355°F for about 50 minutes, until golden brown and the majority of the juices are absorbed.