Chicken with Eggplant—a New “Shepherd’s Pie”

At first glance, this traditional Jewish holiday dish from Syria would not seem a likely candidate for a heart-healthy makeover. After all, what could be worse than a layered casserole of fried eggplant and roast chicken? But I like a challenge (I also like the haunting flavors of cinnamon and allspice), so I decided to make the recipe with grilled eggplant instead of fried. The result may not be traditional, but it sure is delicious.