Eggplant questions

[LakeMartinGal]

A neighbor just gave me 4 small eggplants, and I have no idea what to do with them. We're trying to eat lighter, so nothing fried, but I would appreciate some (hopefully quick) side dishes to make for just the 2 of us to use up this bounty!

[amarante]

This is excellent and you can keep it in the refrigerator to nosh on as it's delicious cold.

Pine nuts are nice but not essential - TJ has them at a good price.

Caponata

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, peeled, cut Into 2/3 inch dice
1 tablespoon Coarse salt
2 large sweet onions (Vidalia), cut Into 1/2~inch dice
3 small stalks celery, cut Into 1/2-Inch dice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
3 zucchini, cut Into 2/3 inch dice
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 2/3 inch dice
2 teaspoons dried thvme
1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup toasted pIne nuts optional

Directions:

Place the eggplant in a colander. Toss with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Let rest for 30 minutes. Rinse well with cold water, shaking the colander to remove as much water as possible.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the rinsed eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, thyme, the basil and oregano. Cook, stirring often, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and juice, vinegar and honey. Stir well. Simmer, uncovered, until the eggplant is just tender but keeps its shape and is not soft or mushy, about 5 minutes more. Taste; season to taste with pepper and salt. Stir in the pine nuts, if

[amarante]

I know you asked for a side dish but this is very good and easy. I don't use a pressure cooker - it's so fast to cook anyway.

It keeps very well for leftovers so it's a good dish for two people - freezes pretty well too.


Moroccan Summer Vegetable and Sausage Stew
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recipe By: Cooking Light
Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 pound hot turkey Italian sausage
5 cups (3/4-inch) cubed eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 cups coarsely chopped yellow squash (about 1 pound)
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cloves, garlic minced
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 can (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
6 cups hot cooked couscous
1 ounces) cup (4 crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

Heat oil in a 6-quart pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 2 minutes. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to cooker; cook 2 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add eggplant and next 9 ingredients (eggplant through tomatoes). Close lid securely; bring to high pressure over high heat. Adjust heat to medium or level needed to maintain high pressure; cook 4 minutes. Remove from heat; place cooker under cold running water. Remove lid, and stir in raisins and thyme. Serve over couscous; sprinkle with cheese.



Notes:

Eggplant, onion, and summer squash join sausage, raisins, and feta cheese for a hearty dish that tastes as though it simmered for hours. Use kitchen scissors to split the sausage casings.

Nutritional Information:

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups stew, 3/4 cup couscous, and 2 tablespoons cheese)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 401 (24% from fat); FAT 10.8g (sat 4g, mono 3.7g, poly 2.2g); PROTEIN 21.7g; CARB 55.8g; FIBER 8.9g; CHOL 60mg; IRON 2.8mg; SODIUM 885mg; CALC 151mg;

[amarante]

Again not a side dish.

It goes without saying that you don't need that much oil to sauté the veggies.



Bacala's Neapolitan-style Stuffed Peppers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recipe By: Sopranos Cookbook
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants
6 large red, yellow, or green bell peppers
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3/4 cup pitted and chopped black olives, such as Gaeta or oil-cured olives
6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
3 tablespoons rinsed and drained capers
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon plain bread crumbs

Directions:

Trim the eggplants and cut them into 3/4-inch cubes. Layer them in a colander, sprinkling each layer with salt. Place the colander over a plate and let drain for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Oil a baking pan just large enough to hold the peppers upright.

With a small knife, cut out the stems of the peppers and remove the seeds and white membranes.

Rinse the eggplant and pat dry with paper towels.

In a large skillet, heat the 1/2 cup oil over medium heat. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, olives, anchovies, capers, garlic, parsley, and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the 1/2 cup bread crumbs and remove from the heat.

Stuff the eggplant mixture into the peppers. Stand the peppers in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon bread crumbs and drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil.

Pour 1 cup water around the peppers. Bake for 1 hour, or until the peppers are tender and lightly browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

[LakeMartinGal]

Those look interesting -- thanks! I know the Moroccan one won't work -- DH has an aversion to all things Moroccan. I'd be interested in any others, as well. I'm really thinking side dishes, as I don't know if we'll like it, and I don't want to invest the whole meal in it...

[margeslp]

Eggplant Cannelloni
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large shallots, sliced
4 cloves garlic
2 jars (12 ounces each) roasted red peppers, drained
Juice of 1 orange (about 1/2 cup)
2 medium eggplants, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices
Olive oil cooking spray
4 ounces goat cheese
4 kalamata olives, pitted and minced
1 teaspoon capers, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook shallots and garlic until soft, about 1 minute. Reduce heat. Cook until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add peppers and juice; bring to a boil. Lower heat; simmer until peppers are soft, about 5 minutes. Cool. Puree in a blender. Pour into a 9" x 13" baking dish. Coat eggplants with cooking spray and broil on a baking sheet until golden on both sides, about 15 minutes. Heat oven to 400°F. Mash cheese, olives, capers and 1 tablespoon of the parsley in a bowl. Place 1 tablespoon of filling at the end of each eggplant slice; roll up. Lay seam side down in dish. Bake 10 to 15 minutes. Top with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.
SELF
November 2007
by Kristine Subido
2007-11-02

Open Face Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches

TOTAL TIME: 25 MIN
SERVES: 4
Pairing note For this smoky version of eggplant Parmesan, Sam Calagione and Marnie Old looked for a beer and a wine that could stand up to the grilled eggplant without overwhelming it. Sam opted for Guinness. “People often think dark beers are heavy in body, alcohol and calories,” he said. “I like that Guinness has roasty flavors but is still relatively light.” Marnie chose a cherry-tinged Rioja mellowed by several years of aging: 2000 La Rioja Alta Viña Alberdi Reserva.
INGREDIENTS
Eight 1/2-inch-thick slices of peasant bread
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
One 1 1/4-pound eggplant, sliced crosswise 1 inch thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 plum tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1/2 pound buffalo mozzarella, sliced 1/4 inch thick
8 large basil leaves, torn
Coarse sea salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Light a grill. Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and grill over high heat until crisp on the outside but still soft inside, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to a platter.
2. Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill over moderate heat until charred on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn and grill until tender, about 3 minutes longer.
3. Top the eggplant with the tomato, mozzarella and basil. Cover the grill and cook until the cheese melts, 2 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to the bread, sprinkle with sea salt and serve.

Grilled Eggplant Involtini


ACTIVE TIME: 15 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN
SERVES: 8
Here, smoky grilled eggplant slices are rolled around milky, fresh ricotta cheese; the bundles are neatly tied with a chive.
INGREDIENTS
1 eggplant (about 1 1/4 pounds), sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
1/2 pound fresh ricotta (1 cup)
2 tablespoons snipped chives, plus 16 whole chives
Freshly ground pepper
1 plum tomato—peeled, seeded and finely diced

DIRECTIONS
1. Lightly sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat a grill pan. Blot the eggplant slices dry with paper towels and brush with olive oil. Grill the eggplant over moderate heat, turning once, until tender and lightly charred, about 6 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a platter and let cool.
3. Working over a bowl, press the ricotta through a sieve. Add the snipped chives and season with salt and pepper. Stir the diced tomato into the filling.
4. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the whole chives and blanch for 10 seconds. Drain and pat dry.
5. Spread the ricotta filling over the eggplant slices and cut each in half crosswise. Roll the halves lengthwise into small cylinders and tie with the blanched chives. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then serve.
On the whole this recipe was good. I made a few modifications: used eggplant rounds rather than long slices - easier for individual portions; added just a little bit of roasted garlic to the ricotta - not too much, just enough to give a bit more flavour to the cheese; drizzled reduced balsamic vinegar syrup over involtini for added flavour.

[amarante]

Those look interesting -- thanks! I know the Moroccan one won't work -- DH has an aversion to all things Moroccan. I'd be interested in any others, as well. I'm really thinking side dishes, as I don't know if we'll like it, and I don't want to invest the whole meal in it...

It's not very authentic Moroccan - just call it something else assuming that the combination of ingredients is appealing to you.

[Canice]

I would look at Capay organic's recipes for eggplant - a good number of sides and salads.

[LeaHamm]

So Simple (category) recipe

Eggplant Parmesan ~

1 medium (2 small) eggplant -- 1/4" slices
2 cups (+ or -) favorite meatless Marianara Sauce
1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese -- shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese -- grated

1. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Lay the eggplant in a single layer on the cookie sheet, lightly spray with olive oil. Bake 350 degrees, 10 minutes, turn and spray with olive oil, bake 10 minutes

2. Spoon some tomato sauce on the bottom of 8x8" casserole. Lay the eggplant in a single layer, overlapping, when needed. Spoon tomato sauce over the eggplant. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Repeat. Cover with foil.

3. Bake 350 degrees, 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes, until cheese begins to brown and the sauce is bubbly.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 120 Calories; 7g Fat (48.5% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 21mg Cholesterol; 248mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.

Can be served as a Main dish, or side dish.

[LakeMartinGal]

Thank you! Some really promising recipes, here!

[vbak]

I know you were looking for a side, buuut, one of my grandsons liked this. Here ya go. Some substituted ground beef for the lamb. I used lamb. My Hub liked it better than the pastitsio he orders in Greek Town.

Lamb and Eggplant Pastitsio

Gourmet | October 2001



user rating

88% would make it again
user rating

user rating:
Lamb and Eggplant Pastitsio 3½ forks


cuisine Greek

type Pasta/Noodle Dish


yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr
Ingredients
For lamb sauce

1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb lean ground lamb
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 (28- to 32-oz) can crushed tomatoes


For cheese sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 garlic clove
1 whole clove
1/2 lb feta, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs


For pasta

10 oz penne (3 cups)


Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...#ixzz20uabhF7M

[cocoa'smom]

My neighbor was just telling me how good roasted eggplant is. She cuts up chunks and roasts with squash, onions or whatever she has - sprayed or tossed with a little olive oil. I just bought some Chinese Eggplant and am going to roast it tonight with Mexican Zucchini, red onions, and throw in some mushrooms towards the end.

[charley]

I haven't tried this yet, but plan to in the next week or two.

Szechuan Garlic Eggplant

[LeaHamm]

There are so many different ways of serving this! - my creation.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables

2 eggplant -- cubed
2 zucchini -- cubed
2 yellow squash -- cubed
2 red and green bell pepper -- cubed
2 red onions -- sliced vertically
8 garlic cloves -- sliced
2 tomatoes -- diced
2 tablespoons dried basil
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons capers -- drained
lemon juice -- or balsamic vinegar
roasted red pepper -- sliced
mushrooms -- sliced - optional
black or kalamata olives
feta cheese -- optional

1. Layer onions, eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash, garlic, tomatoes and peppers in a jelly-roll pan (can be heaped).

2. Sprinkle with basil. Drizzle with olive oil. (and a little lemon juice or balsamic vinegar).

3. Bake 350-400 degrees, 1 hour, stir occasionally. Remove from oven, stir in capers and olives. Cool to lukewarm.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 90 Calories; 5g Fat (44.9% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 20mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 Vegetable; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Serving Ideas : Serve as an appetizer, dip, sandwich, salad, bruschetta topping, vegetable sidedish, or a sauce (for polenta, brown rice, bulgar, pasta, couscous), or as a pizza topping. Serve at room temperature. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese or Kalamata olives, if desired. Refrigerates and freezes well.

NOTES: Roasted Vegetable Dip ~

Place roasted vegetables in food processor, blend on high speed about 1 minute, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides, until smooth. Serve at room temperature with pita chips.. (12 pita chips = 1/2 pita round, = 1 bread exchange.)

[Goin' Coastal]

We make a baked eggplant dish - no real recipe, but we slice it, and then make"sandwiches." In a 9 x 13 pan - put a thin layer of sauce, (your favorite spaghetti sauce) then assemble the sandwiches. A slice of eggplant, a flattened ball of your favorite meat ball mixture, and then another slice of eggplant. Pour on additional sauce and top with mozzarella and parm. Cover with foil and bake about an hour.

[karen w]

This was delicious, healthy, and filling.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/29/he...1&ref=eggplant

Karen

[wallycat]

I have done really simple things with eggplant. The Szechuan style eggplant is awesome. There are various versions posted here.

I have also used tofu, some cheese, tomato sauce and made a sort-of eggplant parm.
I do layer of eggplant, then tofu, then tomato sauce (or sliced tomatoes) and then cheese.

My all time favorite is Indian style in a Sabji recipe I have. Incredible! If you like Indian, I can post the recipe.

I cannot get over how expensive eggplant is here and our lone plant in the green house is doing poorly.
Sigh....

[syzygy]

This is a great resource for eggplant recipes.

[Soupandstew]

I second all of the roasted eggplant dishes posted and often serve them atop cooked pasta or polenta for a one-dish veggie meal. One of our no-recipe eggplant favs is sliced eggplant in a casserole dish topped with drained, canned Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes. Bake until tender and top with thinly sliced fresh mozzarella. Grab chunks of a good bread to soak up the juices and my-oh-my.

[Soupandstew]

My all time favorite is Indian style in a Sabji recipe I have. Incredible! If you like Indian, I can post the recipe.

Please post this when you can. Indian flavors are defintely one of our favorites.

[LakeMartinGal]

Wow! Who knew there were so many ways to use eggplant? And it has no nutritional value at all... so, a good filler for next to no calories! I'm going to try as many recipes as I can with 4 small eggplants for 2 people! Thanks, everyone!

[wallycat]

Eggplant is a great source of antioxidants! Lots of fiber!
http://www.livestrong.com/article/19...fits-eggplant/

Here is the Indian Sabji recipe. Now that I eat low carb, I opt out of the potatoes. You can use any vegetable but the eggplant gives it a great mouth feel.

Eggplant & Potato Sabji (6-8 servings) (from my frieind Sue's cooking class she took in WI)

4 cups eggplant (or other vegetables --carrots, peas, etc.)
6-8 cloves crushed garlic
4 cups diced potatoes (I opt out)
3/4 cup oil
1 cup roughly diced onions
1 TBS salt
2 tsp red pepper (or to taste)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1-1/2 TBS Coriander powder
1 TBS sugar (I omit)
1-1/2 TBS cumin
2 tps. Garam Masala
1/2 cup gram flour (chickpea)
1 TBS lemon juice
1 cup water + 2-1/2 cups water
*optional 1/2 cup roasted peanuts and 1/4 cup coconut 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1. Heat oil and add onions and garlic till onions are browned. Add potatoes, pinch of salt and 1
cup water.
2. When potatoes are almost done, add eggplant, 2-1/2 cups water and all spices/seasonings.
3. When eggplant is cooked, add gram flour (and peanuts/coconut if using). Add lemon juice.
Mix weel.
4. Garnish with Cilantro.

[LeaHamm]

Pesto Stuffed Zucchini

2 cups of day old cubed bread*
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp pine nuts
1 very large zucchini (about 2 pounds), otherwise known as a baseball bat zucchini
1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes
A handful of cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
Salt

*The bread should be a little dry, this way it will toast better. If you don't have day old or slightly dry bread, cut up fresh bread and lay out on a baking sheet. Heat in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.

1 In a medium skillet, melt butter on medium to medium high heat. Add the slightly dry cubed bread, toss to coat at least some of the sides in a little butter. Lay out in a single layer cook, without moving the croutons, until one side is lightly browned, then toss and let cook a little more so a few more sides get a little brown. Remove from pan and let cool to touch.
2 While the croutons are browning, heat a small skillet on high. Add the pine nuts and cook until they begin to brown (do not walk away, once they start browning they can easily go from brown to burnt!). When they start to brown, remove them from the pan into a small bowl.
3 Place the croutons and Mozzarella in a medium bowl. Toss with the pesto. Add the grated Parmesan, chopped cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, and toss some more.

4 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the inner flesh with a metal spoon, leaving 1/4 to a 1/2-inch thickness in the zucchini boats.** Place the zucchini boats in a roasting pan. Sprinkle the inside of the boats with salt. Fill the boats with the stuffing mixture. Pour a cup or so of water into the bottom of the roasting pan (so that zucchini doesn't dry out on the outside), to about 1/4 inch depth. Bake for 45 minutes at 375°F.
**In this recipe we are not using the zucchini flesh that we have scooped out. You can easily freeze it for later use with zucchini recipes such as zucchini bread, zucchini muffins, or zucchini cake. Or you can chop some of it up and mix it in with the stuffing mixture.Serves 4.


http://www.simplyrecipes.com/

[amyvn]

I really, really love grilled eggplant. If it's really fresh, there's no need to even salt it (since it develops bitter flavors as it sits off the plant, but not before). Just brush slices with a little EVO and grill, then either sprinkle with a little sea salt or top with your favorite sauce. I often do this with a fresh tomato salsa of some kind (whatever you like - make it spicy like a Mexican salsa, or toss fresh tomatoes with olives or capers, fresh herbs and a little feta, or. . . ), which my husband puts over a chicken breast and I have over the eggplant. Since he doesn't like eggplant and I don't eat much meat, everyone wins .

Amy

[charley]

I really, really love grilled eggplant. If it's really fresh, there's no need to even salt it (since it develops bitter flavors as it sits off the plant, but not before). Just brush slices with a little EVO and grill, then either sprinkle with a little sea salt or top with your favorite sauce.

Love it too! It's also good topped with a bit of pesto or grated cheese as it comes off the grill.

[syzygy]

Eggplant is a great source of antioxidants! Lots of fiber!
http://www.livestrong.com/article/19...fits-eggplant/

Here is the Indian Sabji recipe. Now that I eat low carb, I opt out of the potatoes. You can use any vegetable but the eggplant gives it a great mouth feel.

Eggplant & Potato Sabji (6-8 servings) (from my frieind Sue's cooking class she took in WI)

4 cups eggplant (or other vegetables --carrots, peas, etc.)
6-8 cloves crushed garlic
4 cups diced potatoes (I opt out)
3/4 cup oil
1 cup roughly diced onions
1 TBS salt
2 tsp red pepper (or to taste)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1-1/2 TBS Coriander powder
1 TBS sugar (I omit)
1-1/2 TBS cumin
2 tps. Garam Masala
1/2 cup gram flour (chickpea)
1 TBS lemon juice
1 cup water + 2-1/2 cups water
*optional 1/2 cup roasted peanuts and 1/4 cup coconut 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1. Heat oil and add onions and garlic till onions are browned. Add potatoes, pinch of salt and 1
cup water.
2. When potatoes are almost done, add eggplant, 2-1/2 cups water and all spices/seasonings.
3. When eggplant is cooked, add gram flour (and peanuts/coconut if using). Add lemon juice.
Mix weel.
4. Garnish with Cilantro.

I have mostly all the ingredients to make this tonight except for the gram (chickpea) flour. Any good sub for this, since I won't be able to find it anywhere locally.

[Cookin4Love]

One of my super-simple faves is to toss chunks of eggplant, sweet onion, and red bell pepper with olive oil, salt and pepper, then roast until everything has a nice caramelized finish. Amazing texture and the flavor is exquisite.