# Eggplant



## SizzlininIN (Apr 26, 2005)

I have an eggplant waiting patiently for me in the refrigerator......whats your favorite way to prepare it?  I've only had it in eggplant parmesan and just breaded and fried.


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## Yakuta (Apr 26, 2005)

I love to make an eggplant dip.  Here is how I do it:

Wash the eggplant and pat it dry.  Drizzle some olive oil on it and place it in a baking sheet.  Roast it at 350 for 30 minutes or more until the it's roasted and tender. 

Let it cool.  Discard the skin.  Place it in the blender along with the following ingredients:

Garlic cloves (3 or so)
Pinch of red pepper flakes (less or more to your liking)
Juice of 1 lemon
zest of the same lemon
salt and black pepper
1/4 cup of olive oil
Blend it all together in a blender or food processor.  I normally like to pulse it and leave some chunkiness. 

Remove and top with lots of freshly chopped flat leaf parsley.  

Slice and toast some crusty baguettes or ciabiatta bread and serve the dip with the bread.  


If you like Indian food and are not afraid to try something new I also make a popular dish called Baingan Bharta:

Roast eggplant (similar way as indicated in the above recipe)
Discard skin and roughly chop the eggplant and reserve

Other ingredients you need are:
Garlic cloves (3 whole finely chopped)
1 jalapeno chopped
1 medium onion chopped
2 tomatoes finely chopped
1/2 cup of plain yogurt
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1/2 tbsp of curry powder
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish
1 tbsp of oil

In a pan, add the oil.  Once it's almost hot add cumin seeds and garlic.  Next add onions and cook them until brown.  Add tomatoes and continue sauting it until the tomatoes are a mush.  Add curry powder and cook it for another minute.  Add the eggplant and  yogurt and cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Top with cilantro and serve with naan.


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## kitchenelf (Apr 26, 2005)

Here's a recipe a friend sent me from Texas - I think he said it game from the Barefoot Contessa cooking show.

1lb eggplant
1 green and orange bell pepper
2 jalapeno's( one if you don't want it to spicy) deseeded
1/2 red onion
6 cloves garlic
1 poblano pepper deseeded
salt and pepper
olive oil

1/4 all vegetables, put on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20 min, take out of oven and stir, replace to oven for another 20 min.  put veg into proceesor and pulse 4-5 times until there are still small chunks, mix with parmesn cheese and chill for 20-30 minutes.   


I thought the homemade tortilla chips were very good, but Tonya and I also thought it would go really well with some toasted pita points or bruschetta bread toasted with the dip spread on top and a little parm sprinkle!!!


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## kadesma (Apr 26, 2005)

Hi Sizz,

This is fried eggplant with a twist  
After the eggplant is all dipped and fried, take two slices, place some provolone cheese on one slice, cover with the other and make a sandwich, put into oven and melt cheese, then EAT..I sometimes also add a  dollop of marinara  on top as I plate the eggplant..My favorite tho is to make the sandwich, then drizzle it with some fresh lemon juice a drop of white wine,  minced garlic and fresh chopped parsley,  all mixed together and put on top of the sandwich then melt the cheese and eat and enjoy. 
kadesma


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## SizzlininIN (Apr 27, 2005)

Oh my gosh guys they all sound wonderful! Yakuta.....I haven't ever tried Indian food. By the way where is  vbmenu_register("postmenu_110649", true); Inverness, IL?


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## Yakuta (Apr 27, 2005)

Hi Sizzlin, are you asking where Inverness is in IL?  If so it's a very tiny suburb NW of Chicago and is bound by Palatine on one end and Barrington on the other.


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## cantcook (Apr 27, 2005)

round sliced, with a homemade flour batter and fried is my favorite............................a close second would be a shrimp and crabmeat stuffed eggplant..........MMMMMMM Goood!



I don't have a written recipe for it, so I hope this works!!!

Take your eggplant(s) and parboil until slightly tender, but still firm. Allow to cool and cut in half lengthwise, then scoop out most of the meat, leaving a fairly thick shell for your "bowl", and set that meat aside.

Now you need:

butter
garlic
salt
onion
red bell pepper
italian bread crumbs
shrimp
crabmeat (even canned turns out OK)
a dash or two of worcestershire
a dash of hot sauce
olive oil
white wine
a drop of crab boil if you have it.


I didn't put any measurements because I am just going from memory and rarely measure anything anyway. It also depends on how many you are stuffing.

dice half the onion and half the bell pepper, sautee in the butter, a LITTLE wine and garlic until soft and add the eggplant meat. Stir in well and simmer for another 6 - 7 minutes then add your seafood. cook until the shrimp is done, seasoning to taste as you go, your mixture should be pretty moist, with a little standing juices. Allow to cool then add bread crumbs and mix WELL until you achieve the desired consistency............you don't want it TOO dry. 

Coat your shells with olive oil, then stuff with the stuffing, top with grated romano cheese or parmesan cheese and bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes.




Another one that I really like goes kind of like this:

prepare egglant shells the same way.

you need:

onions diced
your favorite ground sausage 1 lb
bell pepper diced
garlic
salt
Zatarains french bread stuffing mix.

First, prepare the stuffing mix following directions on the box, but you will probably only use 3/4 of it. Next brown your sausage slightly then drain, add your onions and bell pepper and garlic and finish browning. Drain again and season to taste. Mix in your french bread stuffing a little at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency and mix of meat. Stuff your shells and bake the same way as above.


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## In the Kitchen (Apr 27, 2005)

*SizzlininIN*

Sure happy you asked about eggplant.  Our favorite.  These people sure have different ways of preparing that I surely am anxious to try.  Everytime eggplant comes up I make sure I keep printout.  I just don't know why there isn't special cookbook on eggplant. I know people are always curious about preparationg whenever I go to store and pick it up.  Then they tell me it is too much work.  Thanks again for all your time and suggestions.  Here is one of my very favorites but be prepared to be in the kitchen for a while.  It was well worth it.  


Spicy Tomato Sauce: 
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
3 garlic cloves, minced 
1 cup black olives, pitted and roughly chopped 
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes 
3 tablespoons capers, drained 
2 (28-ounce) cans tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano), crushed by hand 
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, hand torn 
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups dried bread crumbs 
1 tablespoon garlic powder 
1 tablespoon dried oregano 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
5 eggs 
1 cup all-purpose flour 
Extra-virgin olive oil 
4 pounds medium eggplants, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices 
2 pounds whole milk ricotta cheese 
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Romano 
2 pounds shredded mozzarella cheese

First make the sauce: Put a large saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the olives, red pepper flakes, and capers, and let that cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Toss in the tomatoes with their juices and bring to a low simmer. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder, and oregano in a shallow bowl; season generously with salt and pepper and mix well. Crack 3 of the eggs into another shallow bowl; season with salt and pepper and beat with a fork to mix. Put the flour in another shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the eggplant, flour, beaten eggs, and bread crumbs on a work surface near the stove.

Heat about 1/4-inch olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, dredge several eggplant slices first in the flour, then dip them in the egg, and finally coat them in the bread crumbs. Put as many eggplant in the skillet as will fit comfortably in a single layer and cook until tender and well browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Cook all of the eggplant slices this way, adding more olive oil to the pan as needed.

Stir together the ricotta and 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano cheese. Stir in the basil and remaining 2 eggs, and season with salt and pepper. 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To assemble the dish, first get yourself set up with a large, buttered baking dish. Have ready the eggplant, the ricotta mixture, the tomato sauce, the shredded mozzarella cheese and the remaining 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano. To start, spoon some of the tomato sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Now add a layer of eggplant. Spread with half of the ricotta mixture. Spoon another layer of tomato sauce over and sprinkle with about one-third of the mozzarella. Repeat with a layer of eggplant, the rest of the ricotta, tomato sauce, and another third of the mozzarella. Finish with the rest of the eggplant, the rest of the tomato sauce, and the rest of the mozzarella. Sprinkle with the 3/4 cup Parmigiano.

Put the dish in the oven and bake for about 1 hour, until golden and bubbling. Let stand for about 20 minutes before cutting.


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## buckytom (Apr 27, 2005)

sizz, i just made this for dw the other day for lunch, and she ran out and bought more eggplant and charcoal so i could make it again.

i made a grilled eggplant, grilled red pepper, toasted cheese, garlic and basil sandwhich. it came out fantastic.

first, while the grill gets hot (use lump hardwood charcoal for best results. the smoke makes all the diffference), slice the eggplants into 1/2 to 3/4 inch lengthwise slices, brush with evoo, sprinkle with a good amount of sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.
when the grill is ready, put on the red peppers until the skin burns black on all sides. remove from grill, and place in a covered container or plastic bag. when it has cooled a little, peel off the black skin, and slice into strips, discarding the seeds and pith. set aside.
next, put the eggplant on the grill for just a minute or 2 on each side, until you have good grill marks and the eggplant is getting soft/ cooked thru. be careful not to burn it. set aside.
split a loaf of italian bread lengthwise, brush inside with evoo and toast on the grill. when crisp, rub a clove of garlic across the toasted surface, scraping it into the bread. (dw prefers spreading roasted garlic on to the bread. less raw garlic taste). 
now build the sammich. on the bottom half of the bread, layer the eggplant and red pepper strips, and top with either slices of fresh mozzarella (or goat cheese, my fav); roll and slice a few fresh basil leaves, sprinkle over cheese. place back on the grill and cover until the cheese melts a little. top with the other half of the toasted garlic bread, and slice on the bias.
oops gotta run. will finish later.


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## SizzlininIN (Apr 27, 2005)

Wow...........thanks for so many great recipes they all sound wonderful.  Yakuta.....yes thats what I was wondering.....not sure what that mess is in my post .  Thanks for letting me know.


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## Run_Out (Apr 27, 2005)

I fixed eggplant last night for dinner. Here is the recipe I used from How to Boil Water.

Small eggplant thinly sliced. I always slice the eggplant and salt both sides, lay on a paper towel, to remove some of the bitter taste.

2 cloves of garlic minced
EVOO 
Salt

Just baste the eggplant, place on a foil lined cookie sheet and place in the oven 350-400. When done remove and reserve for the sauce.

The sauce consist of  medium onion sauted with minced garlic until carmalized, add two 14oz cans of tomatoes along with fresh basil, let this cook down. Fold in the eggplant and the pasta.

I always add red pepper flakes, my wife likes everything spicy.

Hope this helps.


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