Eggplant Caponata

INGREDIENTS       
¾         pound eggplant, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice*
            salt
2          tablespoons golden raisins
2 ½      tablespoons olive oil, divided
1          small white onion, finely diced
1          celery rib, finely diced ( ½   cup)
½         red bell pepper, seeded and diced to ½ inch
4          cloves garlic, minced
½         jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1          tablespoon tomato paste
1          medium tomato, cut into ½ inch dice
½         cup pitted, chopped green olives
1          tablespoon capers, drained, rinsed, drained

½         tablespoon sherry vinegar*

METHOD

In a colander, sprinkle the eggplant with the salt and let it stand for about 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water, reserve. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, soak the raisins in hot water for 10 minutes until they are plump. Drain and reserve.

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, onion and celery. Cover and saute for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add the red pepper, garlic and jalapeno and continue cooking until they are softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, reserved raisins, and sherry vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl.

In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the eggplant and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the eggplant, stirring occasionally, until it is browned all over, about 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is very tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vegetables, mix well, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature before serving.

*Notes: If using white eggplant, the salt treatment is not necessary. Just peel the eggplant and dice. If you do not have sherry vinegar, use ½ tablespoon of Sherry and ½ tablespoon of white wine vinegar instead.

Eggplant Casserole

INGREDIENTS
1    eggplant, about 1 pound, purple or white
4    tablespoons olive oil
4    stalks celery, diced to ½ inch
1    red bell pepper, diced to ½ inch
1    medium onion, diced to ½ inch
2    cloves garlic, minced
½   cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried
1    cup grated Parmesan cheese
½   cup heavy cream or half and half
½   cup bread crumbs, Italian seasoned
or
½   cup plain breadcrumbs and
2    teaspoons dried oregano
2    teaspoons dried sage

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Peel the eggplant and cut it into ½ inch dice. Choose a large skillet capable of being put into the oven and put it over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the celery. Cook and stir the celery for about 3 to 4 minutes and add the eggplant, red bell pepper, onion and garlic. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes and add the basil.

Remove from the heat and add the cheese, cream and bread crumbs. Mix well until combined and place the skillet into the oven. Cook for 15 minutes until well heated. Remove carefully – the handle will be really hot – and serve immediately. I’ve been told it goes well with lamb.

Adapted from a recipe by Emeril Lagasse

Eggplant Parmesan

INGREDIENTS
1    medium eggplant, purple or white*
3    tablespoons all-purpose flour
1    teaspoon water
1    egg
½   cup bread crumbs or Panko
1    tablespoon dried oregano
½   cup grated Parmesan cheese
4    ounces mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced or shredded
1 ½  cups marinara sauce
¼   cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

METHOD

Arrange an oven rack 10 inches from the broiler and pre-heat the broiler to high. Coat a sided baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray.

Peel alternate strips from the eggplant in a vertical direction and then remove the top and bottom of the eggplant. Slice the remainder into 8 even slices. Place the flour in a shallow dish and whisk the water and egg together in a shallow bowl.

Combine the bread crumbs, oregano and Parmesan cheese in another flat dish. Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, then the egg mixture and finally in the breadcrumbs. Lay them on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle a bit of olive oil on each or spray with cooking spray.

Broil for 3 minutes on each side or until browned and tender, remove from the oven and coat with mozzarella cheese. Broil again until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Meanwhile, warm the marinara sauce in a small sauce pan or in the microwave. To serve, place 2 slices of eggplant on each individual serving dish and top with marinara sauce and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

*If using a purple eggplant, salt each slice and allow the slices to sit for 8 to 10 minutes before continuing. White eggplants do not need this treatment.

Grilled Eggplanr with Red Pepper Sauce

INGREDIENTS
1    large red bell pepper
1    teaspoon cumin seeds
1    tablespoon red wine vinegar
1    medium eggplant, sliced into ½ inch slices
      olive oil

METHOD

Cut the bell pepper in half and discard the seeds and internal membranes. Flatten both halves on a baking sheet and broil until the skins blacken. Place into a paper bag and close the bag. When they have sweated for 6 to 8 minutes, remove the peppers and peel them. Cut into 1 inch pieces and place into a food processor.

Toast the cumin seeds in a small frying pan on medium-low for a few minutes until the aroma becomes pretty strong – but do not blacken the seeds. Place them into a mortar and pestle and grind them in to a powder. Place this into the food processor. Add the red wine vinegar to the food processor and process to a puree.

Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and grill either on an outdoor grill or on the stove top with a grilling iron. Turn them three times after 3 minutes to thoroughly cook and also to obtain the crossed grilling lines.

Serve with the sauce along side.

Based on a recipe in Cooking Light magazine

Eggplant Tomato Stacks

As you can tell by the picture, I cooked these a bit too much. Golden brown - not dark brown, please. However, they still were delicious. If fact, I get hungry just looking at the photo. Have to make some more…

INGREDIENTS
1    medium globe eggplant
¼   cup Kosher salt
3    tablespoons olive oil
¼   cup all-purpose flour
2    beefsteak tomatoes, 3 inches round
8    round slices Provolone cheese

METHOD

Slice the eggplant into eight ½ inch slices, discarding the end cuts. Toss the eggplant with the Kosher salt in a large bowl being sure that each slice receives a good coating. Place the eggplant slices into a colander and set it somewhere drainage will not harm anything. Leave the eggplant for at least 2 hours.

Rinse each eggplant slice and dry with paper towels. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Place the flour into a medium bowl and dredge each eggplant slice on both sides, knocking off any excess. Fry the slices, turning once, until they are a golden brown on both sides. Remove onto paper towels to drain.

Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Slice the tomatoes into 8 slices, all about ¼ inch thick, discarding (or eating) the outer slices Build the four stacks by starting with the four largest slices of eggplant and placing them of the foil-covered baking dish. Add a tomato slice to each, then a slice of cheese. Add another slice of eggplant, tomato and cheese and bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese is well melted. Change the oven to broil and broil the stacks until the top layer of cheese is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before eating.

Options:  add a leaf of fresh basil on each tomato slice or sprinkle with a little dried basil. Or, brush the bottom eggplant slices with some good Balsamic vinegar.

Lime Beef with Eggplat

INGREDIENTS
½   pound beef loin cut into ½ inch cubes (1 cup)
      Juice of 1 lime (about 3 tablespoons)
2    tablespoons olive oil
1    medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
1    can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
1-2    medium Japanese or Italian eggplant, diced to ½ inch (2 cups)
¼   cup water
½   teaspoon salt
1    tablespoon garlic powder
2    tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley (optional) for garnish

METHOD

Before preparing the other ingredients, place the cubes of beef in a medium bowl and add the lime juice, stirring to thoroughly coat the beef. Marinate for at least 5 minutes.  Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet and add the beef and lime juice. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning often, to brown the beef. Remove to a large bowl and retain.

Place the onions into the skillet and cook for 6 to 7 minutes until they are translucent and quite soft – do not brown. Remove to the bowl with the beef. Place the tomatoes and eggplant into the skillet, add the water, salt and garlic powder and cover. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 12 to 14 minutes until the eggplant is tender. Add the beef and onion, mix and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to reheat all the ingredients. Remove from the heat and serve.

 

Roasted Eggplant Soup

Two soups in a row. Oh well. I have been working on this for quite a while. I finally got it right and thought I should post it. If you do not like eggplant, don't try this. If you love eggplant like I do, go for it. It is different but delicious.

INGREDIENTS
2    large Italian eggplants
4    tablespoons olive oil, divided
1    medium white onion, chopped
4    cloves garlic
3 1/4  cups low salt chicken broth, divided
1/2  jar (7 ounce) roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees. Peel the eggplants and cut into 1/2 inch slices lengthwise. Brush both sides liberally with olive oil, season with salt, place on a roasting pan and roast in the top of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Check for done-ness every 10 minutes - when they are golden brown, turn them over and roast for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, chop into 1 inch cubes and set aside.

In a large sauce pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and simmer until it becomes translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and simmer for 1 minute. Add 3 cups of the chicken broth and the eggplant pieces and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Working in batches if necessary, transfer the eggplant soup to a blender or food processor and process to a puree. Strain into a clean sauce pan and season to taste.

Meanwhile, add the roasted red peppers and 1/4 cup of chicken broth to blender of food processor. Process to a puree, Reheat the eggplant soup as necessary and transfer to individual bowls. Spoon the red pepper puree into the center of each bowl and serve immediately.

Loosely based on an idea found at www.cooks.com