Recipe: Eat Your Eggplant

Here are a few ways

With 1,000 thank yous to co-op member Charlene D.

 

Curried Eggplant Soup
2 med eggplants
olive oil
salt and pepper
3 T olive oil
1 med onion sliced
4 garlic cloves sliced
2 slices fresh ginger, peeled, and chopped
2 t curry powder
1/2 t sugar
2 C chicken or veggie stock
2 C water
2 T fresh chopped basil and 1/2 C buttermilk as garnish (optional)

Remove stems, cut eggplants in half lengthwise, and score in a crisscross pattern. 
Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
Bake @ 450 degrees cut side up, 1 hr until soft.  When cool to touch, remove pulp and chop.
Heat oil in stockpot over med heat. 
Cook onion, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper until onions are soft and golden. 
Stir in curry and sugar, turn heat to high and cook stirring frequently 2 min. 
Pour in stock, water and eggplant. 
Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook 10 min. 
Skim and discard foam.
Transfer to food processor and puree in batches until smooth. 
Return to pot to heat through and season with basil and buttermilk.
Serves 4 - 6

Roasted Eggplant and Potato Soup
1 lg eggplant
3 T butter
1 med onion, chopped
1 T minced garlic
1 and 1/2 t paprika
1/2 t cayenne
1/4 t cumin
salt
4 C chicken or veggie stock
1 and 1/2 pounds potatoes, unpeeled and chopped

Preheat broiler and move the rack about 8 inches from the heat. 
Broil eggplant until charred all over, about 40 min.  Let cool, peel and roughly chop.
Melt butter in stockpot over med heat. 
Saute onion and garlic until soft. 
Stir in paprika, cayenne, cumin, salt and eggplant. 
Turn up heat and stir for 1 min. 
Pour in stock and potatoes. 
Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook until potatoes are done, 35 to 40 min. 
Puree in food processor and rewarm.
Serves 4


Baba Ghanoush
Serve with toasted pita, veggies or as a sandwich spread

1 lg eggplant
3 T tahini or sesame seed paste
1 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
2 t minced garlic
1/4 t paprika
4 dashed Tabasco
2 T eggplant liquid
salt and pepper

Preheat broiler and broil eggplant, turning occasionally until evenly charred and soft, about 40 min. 
Transfer to bowl to cool. 
When cool, peel, reserving liquid in bowl. 
Roughly chop pulp and transfer to mixing bowl.,
Add remaining ingredients, mixing and mashing to form a chunky dip. 
Adjust seasonings to taste and serve chilled or at room temp.
Makes 2 C


Grilled Eggplant and Mozzarella

olive oil
1/4 C olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 t minced sun-dried tomatoes
1 t minced garlic
salt and pepper
1 med eggplant, stemmed and cut in 1/4 inch slices
6 ounces mozzarella, sliced

Preheat grill or broiler and brush grate or tray with oil
in small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper.
Brush eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil and grill or broil until charred on one side, about 4 minutes.  Turn, top each with a slice of cheese, and cook until cheese melts (if grilling, cover grill to melt cheese). 
Transfer to platter and drizzle with reserved dressing. 
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 4


Baked penne and Eggplant casserole

1 pound penne
olive oil
1 lg eggplant, unpeeled, cut in 2 x 1/2 x 1/2 inch strips
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 C grated parmesan
salt and pepper
3 med tomatoes, sliced
6 basil leaves

Cook pasta, drain, and rinse with cold water and drain. 
Return to cooking pot. 
Toss with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and set aside. 
Lightly coat a 9 x 13 dish with oil and set aside.

Pour oil into large skillet to a depth of 1/2 inch. 
Over high heat, cook eggplant in single layer in batches, until golden brown, stirring frequently with slotted spoon. 
Drain on paper towels.
Add eggplant to pasta and gently toss to combine. 
Add mozzarella, 1/2 C parmesan, salt and pepper and mix. 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Arrange the tomatoes in single layer in prepared casserole. 
Sprinkle with basil. 
Spoon on the pasta mixture and smooth top. 
Sprinkle with remaining parmesan. 
Cover with foil and bake 20 min. 
Remove foil, turn heat to 425 and bake 5 - 10 min until top is golden and crusty.

Serves 4 - 6


Provencal Vegetable Gratin

3 T plus 1/2 cup olive oil
2 lg onions, thinly sliced
3 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 med eggplants, trimmed, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally
3 med zucchinis, trimmed and thinly slicked diagonally
3 med tomatoes, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 T chopped fresh basil
1/2 t coarse salt and greshly ground pepper

Heat 3 T oil in lg skilled over mod heat. 
Cook onions until soft. 
Add peppers, reduce heat to low, and cook until veggies are limp about 20 min longer.
Preheat oven to 400.
Coat the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole with three-quarters of the onion mixture. 
Cover with a layer of half the eggplant slices, followed by half the zucchini and the remaining onion mixture.  Top with a layer of eggplant, followed by zucchini and then top with tomato slices.
In a small bowl, mix together remaining olive oil, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. 
Drizzle over top. 
Bake for 1 hr.  Let sit 5 minutes, pour off excess oil, cut in squares, and serve hot or at room temperature.  Leftovers make great sandwiches.
Serves 6


Eggplant Curry
6 T oil
1 lg eggplant, unpeeled and cubed
salt
1 onion, diced
1 T minced garlic
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 T curry
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t turmeric
1/2 t cayenne
2 T tomato paste
1 C water
1 and 1/2 T sugar
1 bunch spinach sashed and roughly chopped
2 tomatoes chopped

Heat 4 T oil in a lg heavy pot over high heat. 
Saute eggplant with salt until soft and golden. 
Drain on paper towels.
Add remaining 2 T oil to pot and reduce heat to med. 
Saute onion, garlic, and ginger until soft. 
Add curry, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne, and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. 
Add water and sugar, bring to a boil and cook 1 minute longer at high heat. 
Stir in spinach and cook until wilted. 
Add eggplant and tomatoes, reduce heat, and cook just to blend flavors, about 4 minutes. 
Adjust seasoning s and serve hot over rice.
Serves 4


Eggplant Crepes with Roasted Tomato Sauce
1 - 2 Eggplants about 8 - 9 inches long
Nonstick olive oil cooking spray
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and pressed dry
1 C ricotta cheese
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
6 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese
Fresh oregano leaves for garnish

Roasted Tomato Sauce
20 ripe plum tomatoes (about 2 and 2/3 pounds) cut in half
3 T olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/3 C minced fresh basil
1/2 t ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450
Toss tomatoes with 1 T oil and salt. 
Place cut sides down on nonstick baking sheet. 
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until skins are blistered. 
Cool. 
Process tomatoes, remaining 2 T oil, basil and pepper in food processor until smooth.
Makes about 1 cup.

Reduce oven to 425. 
Trim cap and stem off eggplant and cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices. 
Arrange 18 of the lagrest slices on nonstick baking sheets in single layer. 
Spray both sides of eggplant slices with cooking spray. 
(Reserve other eggplant slices for other uses). 
Bake eggplant 10 minutes;  turn and bake 5 - 10 minutes more or until tender. 
Cool. 
Reduce oven to 350.
Combine spinach, ricotta and parmesan. 
Spray 12 x 8 baking pan with cooking spray. 
Spread spinach mixture on eggplant slices. 
Roll up slices. 
Place rolls, seam-side down, in baking dish.
Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. 
Uncover, sprinkle with Gruyere cheese. 
Bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted.
Serve with roasted tomato sauce. 
Garnish with oregano leaves.
Makes 4 - 6 servings.


Mushroom - Stuffed Eggplant

1 eggplant
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/4 C flour
1/4 C butter or marg
1 sm onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 C milk
1/2 C (or more) grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven 350. 
Cut eggplant in half. 
Remove and cube center of eggplant. 
In large skillet, stir together all ingredients except milk and cheese.  
Cook and stir over med heat until brown. 
Remove from heat and stir in milk. 
Fill eggplant shells, sprinkle with cheese and bake 40 - 45 min until eggplant is tender.


 

Posted: to Recipes on Thu, Mar 10, 2011
Updated: Thu, Apr 28, 2011

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