I was walking around the farmers market yesterday, and noticed that there were alot of venders with this. I never eat it cause i only know one way to prepare it.
Baba Ghanoush (Eggplant Dip)
1 large eggplant (1 1/4 pounds)
4 level tablespoons tahini
1/2 teaspoon garlic, peeled and crushed with salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or more to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Garnish:
Aleppo or Near East pepper or hot Hungarian paprika
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Diced ripe tomatoes
Pierce the eggplant in several places with a toothpick. If you are cooking indoors, wrap the whole eggplant in aluminum foil and set it over a gas grill to cook on all sides until it collapses and begins to release a great deal of steam. If you are cooking over coals, grill the eggplant until blackened, collapsed, and cooked through.
Dump the eggplant into a basin of cold water; peel while still hot and allow to drain in a colander until cool. Squeeze pulp to remove any bitter juices. Mash the eggplant to a puree.
In a food processor, mix the tahini with the garlic and lemon juice until the mixture contracts. Thin with the water. With the machine running, add the eggplant and the salt, pepper, and olive oil.
Spread out in a shallow dish and garnish with pepper, parsley, and tomatoes.
Roasted Eggplant Salad
serves 6
1-1/2 pounds Japanese or Italian eggplants
6 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head garlic
1 red bell pepper
1 golden bell pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
1 large red onion
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut eggplants in half lengthwise, then in 3/4-inch chunks. Place in a bowl and toss with 4 tablespoons oil and salt and pepper to taste; transfer to a heavy baking sheet. Roast until just tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice with a spatula to make sure eggplant chunks aren’t sticking to the baking sheet. Transfer to a large, shallow serving bowl.
Meanwhile, with a small knife, cut all around the head of garlic at the “equator,” penetrating the paper skin but not the cloves.
Remove the papery outer layers from the top half of the head (opposite the roots), exposing the cloves. Place garlic on a large square of aluminum foil and drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Loosely wrap the foil around it, sealing edges tightly. Slip garlic into oven alongside eggplants and bake until cloves are soft, about 45 minutes.`
Remove seeds and ribs from bell peppers. Cut peppers and onion in 1-inch pieces. In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. Add bell peppers and onions, season with salt and pepper and saute until tender but not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with eggplant. Add cherry tomatoes to skillet, season with salt and pepper and saute just to heat them through, about 1 minute; do not let them lose their shape. Transfer to bowl with eggplant and add parsley.
Squeeze the softened garlic out of the skins into a small bowl and mash to a puree. Whisk in vinegars. Pour about three-fourths of the mixture over the vegetables and toss gently, taking care not to break up the eggplant. Taste and add more of the vinegar mixture, salt or pepper if necessary. Serve at room temperature
Oven fried Eggplant
1 medium to large eggplant
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Mayonnaise
Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pare skin from eggplant and slice “crossways” into 1/4-inch slices. Spread thin coating of mayonnaise on each side of sliced eggplant and dredge in Italian seasoned bread crumbs.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes per side. The eggplant will brown nicely. Serve as an appetizer or side dish.
Eggplant Lasagna
Spaghetti sauce
½ (16 oz) pkg lasagna noodles (12 noodles)
1 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/8 tsp pepper
salt
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
1 medium eggplant, cut in ½-inch slices
salad oil
1 (16 oz) pkg mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Prepare spaghetti sauce. Cook lasagna noodles as label directs; drain.
On waxed paper, combine crumbs, pepper and ½ tsp salt. In small dish with fork, beat eggs with water. Dip eggplant into egg mixture, then crumb mixture.
In 12-inch skillet over medium heat, in 2 tbsp hot salad oil, cook eggplant slices, a few at a time, until tender, adding more oil when necessary. Drain on paper towels. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In 13x9 inch baking pan, layer half of noodles, eggplant slices, mozzarella and spaghetti sauce; repeat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 30 minutes or until hot.
Yield: 8 main-dish servings.
Begin 2-1/4 hours ahead.
Eggplant Parmigiana
olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 (16-oz) cans tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dried breadcrumbs
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (8-oz) pkg mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch slices
In 9-inch skillet over medium heat, in 2 tbsp hot oil, cook garlic and onion until tender, then add next 5 ingredients. Reduce heat; cook, covered, 30 minutes.
On waxed paper, place breadcrumbs; in small dish with fork, beat eggs and water. Dip eggplant slices in egg then in breadcrumbs. Repeat to coat slices twice.
Grease 13x9-inch baking dish. Over medium heat, in 2 tbsp hot oil, cook a few eggplant slices at a time till golden brown. Add more oil as needed.
Preheat oven to 350. Arrange 1/2 eggplant slices in baking dish; cover with 1/2 tomato mixture; sprinkle with 1/2 Parmesan cheese; top with 1/2 mozzarella; repeat. Bake 25 minutes.
6 main-dish servings
Begin 1-1/2 hours ahead
Cheesy Fried Eggplant
4 to 6 servings
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg , slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 large eggplant (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut crosswise in 1/2 inch slices
1/4 cup CRISCO all-vegetable shortening or 1/4 CRISCO stick
Combine cornmeal, flour, cheese, salt and garlic powder on waxed paper.
Combine egg and milk in shallow dish or pie plate. Dip eggplant in mixture. Coat with cornmeal mixture.
Heat Crisco to 365ºF in electric skillet or on medium-high heat in large skillet. Fry, a few slices at a time, 1 or 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Turn once. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve immediately.
Eggplant Parmigiana
2 large eggplants
1 tablespoon oil
6 tablespoons bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 large jar marinara sauce
8 slices mozzarella cheese
Peel eggplant and slice in 1/4-inch slices. Pour boiling water over slices and soak for 5 minutes. Drain. Pat dry. Heat skillet. Using 1 teaspoon of oil at a time, quickly brown eggplant slices. Mix crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and garlic powder. In shallow baking dish, arrange alternate layers of eggplant, crumbs, spice mixture and marinara sauce. Layer mozzarella cheese on each layer. Cover top with mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Jazzy Mexican Eggplant
2 large or 3 medium eggplants
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 pound fresh red tomatoes, pared and chopped
1-inch fresh ginger, grated
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup water
Salt and pepper
2 to 4 serrano or jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
Wash eggplant, remove stalks and cut into bite-size pieces. Fry cubes in oil for approximately five minutes or until brown. Drain on paper towels.
Fry cumin and fennel seeds for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until they turn a shade darker. Mix in chopped tomatoes, grated ginger, crushed garlic, coriander and water. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the mixture becomes thick.
Return the fried eggplant cubes to the pan and heat through. Garnish with sprigs of fresh parsley.
Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
2 medium eggplants, sliced 1/4 inch thick, top to bottom(discard end slices, which will have too much skin), 12 to 2 1/4 pounds total
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, approximately
3 medium yellow squash, sliced 1/4 inch thick, top to bottom
3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick, top to bottom
2 medium onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick, across, slices kept whole
5 medium tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick, across
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
10 basil leaves
15 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesean cheese
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Place the eggplant in a large bowl, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on top, and gently toss to give the eggplant a light coating of oil. Arrange the slices as close as possible to each other on a lightly oiled sheet pan without overlapping the slices. Using the same bowl and more oil, repeat the yellow squash zucchini. Place the yellow squash and zucchini next to the eggplant, or, if there isn’t room, on a second oiled sheet pan.
Add all but 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil to the bowl. Dip the onion slices in the bowl, keeping the slices whole, if possible, and place them side by side on another sheet pan. Dip the tomato slices in the bowl, and place them on the same pan or, if there isn’t room to avoid layering, on a separate pan.
Season all the vegetables with salt and pepper, and roast for 13 to 15 minutes, in two batches if you don’t have enough room in your oven. The yellow squash and zucchini should be browned on their bottoms, the onions should be starting to brown, and the tomatoes starting to shrink and tenderize.
Remove the vegetables and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Brush an 8- or 9-inch square pan that’s about 2 inches deep with oil. Gently layer about half the eggplant on the bottom of the pan, and layer the yellow squash on top of the eggplant. Press down firmly to pack the vegetables together. Layer the zucchini on top, then the remaining eggplant, and then the onions, pressing down after each. With a spatula, gently cover the onions with the tomatoes. Top with the basil leaves.
Combine the garlic, bread crumbs, cheese, any oil remaining in the bowl, and additional salt and pepper, and mix with your hands. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the lasagna. Bake for about 1 hour. Check during that hour and if the lasagna seems to have a lot of liquid coming from the vegetables, drain some of it. The lasagna is done when it starts to brown on top and pulls back from the pan a bit. Let it cool about 20 to 30 minutes before slicing or serving. Cut in quarters for entrees, in eighths for side dishes.
YUM! I was searching for eggplant recipes. Thank you All for posting!
Thought I’d add one of our most recent favorites, received from a friend.
Cheesy Eggplant Roll-Ups
Preheat oven to 450* F. Coat cooky sheet with about 1 T. of olive oil or you can use cooking spray.
Assemble ingredients:
1 lg. eggplant
olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1/2 c. ricotta cheese
1/3 c. creamy, unseasoned goat cheese
3/4 t. dried Italian herb mixture (optional)
1 1/2 c. marinara sauce
1/2 c. shredded mozarella cheese
Skin the eggplant and cut off stem end. Slice the eggplant lengthwise into quarter-inch slices. Place on the cooky sheet, brush top surfaces of eggplant with olive oil and season with the salt & pepper. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, until done. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm and soft.
While eggplant is baking, combine the ricotta & goat cheese in a bowl. Stir in the dried herbs, if using.
Grease the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish with olive oil (or cooking spray) and spoon about half of the marinara sauce into the bottom, spreading gently to cover the bottom of the dish evenly.
Starting at the large end, spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture onto about the quarter portion of the “bottom” of each eggplant slice. Roll up lengthwise, and place in the baking dish seam side down. Repeat until all eggplant slices have been used. Top all of the eggplant rolls with the remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle with the grated mozarella. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.
These rolls can be served alone, or the rolls can be served over pasta. Serves about 4 - 5, depending upon appetite.
Update:29th of January
We tried a Middle-Eastern variation
We substituted:
Zataar for Italian seasoning and
sheep’s milk feta for the goat cheese and
plain tomato sauce seasoned with about 1/2 t. zataar for the marinara. Yum!
It would also be really good with chunks of zucchini and onion in the tomato sauce too. We’ll try that next time.
Recipe for homemade Zataar:
1 T Sumac powder
2 T. Powdered thyme
1/3 c. white Sesame seed
1 t. Dried thyme leaves
1 1/2 t. Kosher salt
Instructions for Homemade Zataar
In a small bowl, blend together sumac, thyme, sesame seed, and kosher salt . Can be stored tightly covered 2 to 3 months.
Note: Sumac is a piquant seasoning available at specialty stores such as Middle Eastern stores or Penzey’s. You can also buy Zataar (spelled “Zatar” on Penzey’s website) online at Penzey’s.
OK, this will be great, provided I dump the olives (hate those). So glad to see fennel seed used here, almost forgot about it (thanks for the reminder, REALLY adds to Italian taste) Thanks for posting.
Eggplant and Lamb with Oine Nuts
1
Eggplant and lamb with pinenuts
1 large or two smaller Eggplant - peeled and sliced 1/2’ thick
1 1/2 lb Ground Lamb
1 medium Onion, diced medium
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 Tsp Ginger
1/8 Tsp Allspice
15 oz tomatoe sauce or puree
15 oz diced tomatoes
4 oz Pinenuts
Olive Oil
Slice Eggplant 1/2 thick and place in salted water and weigh down.
In large skillet place olive oil and bring to medium heat. Brown dryed eggplant slices and brown on both sides, add more olive oil as need (see note). remove browned slices to baking dish and the brown ground lamb in same skillet and add onion and cook until translucent and then add tomate sauce, tomatoes and spices. Simmer until meat totally cooked then add pinenuts and spoon over eggplant slices. Sprinkle crumbeled Feta Cheese on top if desired.
note:
Eggplant will absord a lot of olive oil, this is ok as olive oil is good for you. There is a Greek saying," He is so rich he does not care how much olive oil his wife uses on the eggplant!"
The way I like eggplant best is on the grill. Black beauty is ok but Pingtung is the best I have found. They are hard to find in the supermarket, but you will find them sometimes at the Farmer’s Market. Last year I ordered seed (seedlings are hard to find as well) and started the seeds
inside in February. I planted 2 in the flower garden and we had all the eggplant we wanted as this variety is very proliferate.
Pingtung is long and slender so cut in half lengthwise, brush with olive oil and grill.
Just wash the eggplant, marinate it with salt, turmeric and chilli, let it rest for 1/2 nhour and then just shallow fry it…Its simple and too good in taste…you can add more ingredients to the marinate if u want