Tater-Dipped Eggplant

Tater-Dipped Eggplant

Rated: Submitted By: SROWE Photo By: squishietofu Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 35 Minutes Servings: 4

"Eggplant is battered and breaded with instant mashed potato flakes then browned in the oven until tender. Since I tried this method, we never serve eggplant any other way."

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup butter 1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 3 /4 inch slices 1 egg

1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 cup instant mashed potato flakes

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt butter in a shallow baking dish in the oven while it is preheating.
2.	In a small bowl, mix together the egg, salt and pepper. Dip slices of eggplant into the egg mixture, then dip into the potato flakes to coat. Place the coated slices of eggplant into the hot buttered dish.
3.	Bake for about 20 minutes, or until tender, turning once after 10 minutes.

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Printed from Allrecipes.com 5/2/2013

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Katie (Katiedid) from Barefoot Contessa

1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup good olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta

For the dressing:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup good olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:
4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted
3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

Katie's Notes: I used 1 bunch of asparagus instead of the eggplant and then added some leftover roasted cauliflower, green beans and chicken as well. I used about 6 small red, orange and yellow peppers, extra garlic, reduced the oil for roasting to about 2 T. In the dressing I reduced the olive oil to just under 1/4 c. I used 4 oz of garlic and herb crumbled feta and skipped the pine nuts. I used a tri-color orzo (sundried tomato, spinach and plain).

Persian Eggplant Stew

Persian Eggplant Stew (Fesenjan-e Bademjan)

Serves 4

• 2 large eggplant
• olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
• several grinds fresh black pepper
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons walnut butter
• 2 cups water
• salt
• handful parsley leaves

1. Peel eggplants and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place in a single layer on an oiled cookie sheet, brush or spray with more oil, lightly shower with salt and roast for 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees F.
2. Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and black pepper and cook for one more minute. Add the molasses, honey, red wine vinegar, and walnuts and water. The walnut butter will be a lump at first, but once it heats up you can whisk it in easily.
3. Simmer for a few minutes and then season with salt as needed. Add the cooled eggplant back to the sauce. Reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cook until the eggplant is fully tender and the sauce thickened, about 10 minutes.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, cayenne, or vinegar as needed to achieve a complex mixture of spices, sweet, and sour.
5. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve over couscous.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich w/ Herbed Mayo
Michelle (MMmom)

1 Japanese eggplant sliced lengthwise about 1/4" thick
1 small zucchini sliced lengthwise about 1/4" thick
1 small yellow squash sliced lengthwise about 1/4" thick
1 small red onion cut into rings
 2-3 Portobello caps
 extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
1 loaf crusty bread, cut into 1/2" slices
 red leaf lettuce
1 large roasted red pepper, sliced lengthwise   (I use jarred)
Herbed Mayo (below)

Heat a grill or grill pan.  Lay all the vegetables on a large sheet pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Flip all slices, drizzle with more olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill until the vegetables are tender and have grill marks.  When the vegetables are almost done, drizzle a little olive oil on the slices of bread and grill on both sides.

Slice the Portobellos.  Spread mayo the slices of bread. Assemble the sandwiches with the grilled vegetables, lettuce, and roasted red pepper.

Herbed Mayo
1 clove garlic
about 3/4 c mayonnaise
juice of 1/2 lemon
a few drops of hot sauce
2 Tbsp thyme leaves
2 Tbsp flat leaf parsley
2 Tbsp chopped chives

For a smooth spread, smash the garlic and add it, along with the rest of the ingredients to a food processor.  Pulse until smooth.

Or, mince the garlic and add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients.  Stir to combine.

Best of made a few hours ahead.

Eggplant Italiano

Eggplant Italiano:

Coat 1/2 in. thick slices eggplant with beaten egg white, then instant mashed potato flakes.

Place on wire rack on a baking sheet. Coat slices with nonstick spray (use oil mister if you have one); season with dried oregano, salt and pepper.

Bake at 425 for 30 minutes. Turn, spray, season and bake 10 minutes more, or until tender and golden. Serve with marinara sauce.

Roasted Eggplant with Chiles, Peanuts, and Mint

ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH CHILES PEANUTS AND MINT
Betsy (MamaFloMO) from www.RecipeGirl.com

¼ cup unsalted peanuts
5 Tbs + 1 tsp. peanut oil
kosher salt
4 skinny Japanese or Chinese eggplant
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
1 tsp honey
12 medium fresh mint leaves, coarsely torn (about 3 Tbsp.)

1. Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 425°F.

2. Scatter peanuts in a pie plate and toss them with 1 tsp. oil and a generous pinch of salt. Roast, shaking pan once or twice, until peanuts are a golden brown (about 5 minutes). Set aside to cool and then coarsely chop them up. Reduce oven temperature to 375F.

3. Rinse the eggplant. Trim off tops and then cut eggplant in half lengthwise. In a large shallow pan, toss eggplant with 2 Tbsp. of the oil and the red pepper flakes. Put eggplant cut-side-up on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle generously with salt. Roast until eggplant is tender when pierced with a fork and the flesh has turned a light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

4. While eggplant is roasting, whisk 3 Tbsp. oil with lime juice, honey and ¼ tsp. salt in a small bowl. Season to taste with more salt, if necessary.

5. With the eggplant still on the center rack, turn the broiler on high and broil the eggplant until well-browned on top, about 5 minutes. Transfer eggplant to a serving platter. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with mint and peanuts. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6 (as a side dish)

Summer Vegetable Kabobs

Summer Vegetable Kabobs
Amy - amylz
Makes 8 servings Southern Living, MAY 2008

12-inch-long wooden skewers
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup honey
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon salt
16 cups assorted cut vegetables

1. Soak skewers in water 1 hour.
2. Whisk together wine and next 6 ingredients until well blended; reserve 1/4 cup. Combine remaining white wine mixture and vegetables in a large bowl. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Remove vegetables from marinade, discarding marinade.
3. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high). Thread vegetables onto skewers, and grill according to directions in Guidelines and Cook Times for Vegetable Kabobs below.
4. Transfer skewers to a platter. Remove vegetables from skewers, if desired. Serve with reserved 1/4 cup white wine mixture.

Guidelines and Cook Times for Vegetable Kabobs. Cut vegetables thick so they will stay on skewers as they cook. Thread one type of vegetable onto each skewer, threading so the cut sides lie flat on the cooking grate to ensure even cooking. Grill skewers, covered with grill lid, over 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat according to the times below. Your goal is to achieve tender, slightly charred vegetables.

Zucchini and squash. Prep: Cut into 3/4-inch rounds; thread onto skewers. Grill time: 7 to 10 minutes on each side or until tender.

Okra. Prep: Remove stems, and thread onto double skewers. Grill time: 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until tender.

Eggplant. Prep: Cut Japanese eggplant into 3/4-inch rounds. Cut Italian eggplant crosswise into quarters; cut into 3/4-inch slices. Thread onto skewers. Grill time: 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until tender.

Bell peppers. Prep: Cut into 1-inch-thick strips; thread skewers. Grill time: 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until tender.

Mushrooms. Prep: Trim stems, and thread onto skewers. Grill time: 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until tender.

Onions. Prep: Cut into wedges, and thread onto skewers. Grill time: 3 or 4 minutes on each side or until lightly charred.

Cherry tomatoes. Prep: Thread onto double skewers. Grill time: 1 to 3 minutes on each side or just until skins begin to split.

Ratatouille's Ratatouille

Ratatouille’s Ratatouille
As envisioned by Smitten Kitchen

1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 cup tomato puree (such as Pomi)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small eggplant (my store sells these “Italian Eggplant” that are less than half the size of regular ones; it worked perfectly)
1 smallish zucchini
1 smallish yellow squash
1 longish red bell pepper
Few sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
Few tablespoons soft goat cheese, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across the long way. Drop the sliced garlic cloves and chopped onion into the sauce, stir in one tablespoon of the olive oil and season the sauce generously with salt and pepper.

Trim the ends off the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. As carefully as you can, trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact, like a tube.

On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.

Atop the tomato sauce, arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a smidgen of each flat surface is visible, alternating vegetables. You may have a handful leftover that do not fit.

Drizzle the remaining tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables and season them generously with salt and pepper. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs with your fingertips, running them down the stem. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish.

Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside. (Tricky, I know, but the hardest thing about this.)

Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but with some structure left so they are not totally limp. They should not be brown at the edges, and you should see that the tomato sauce is bubbling up around them.

Serve with a dab of soft goat cheese on top, alone, or with some crusty French bread, atop polenta, couscous, or your choice of grain.

Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

Notes: Look for tubes of cooked polenta in the supermarket refrigerator case; they are often stocked near the cheese.

1 eggplant (1 lb.)
1 tube (1 lb.) cooked polenta (see notes)
Olive oil cooking spray
1 onion (8 oz.), peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed or minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves or 2 teaspoons dried basil
1 can (14 oz.) tomato purée
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (6 oz.)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 fresh rosemary sprigs (optional)
8 to 12 breadsticks (2 to 3 oz. total)

1. Rinse eggplant and trim off and discard both ends. Cut eggplant crosswise into 8 equally thick slices. Cut polenta crosswise into 8 equal rounds. Lightly coat a 14- by 17-inch baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Arrange eggplant and polenta slices in a single layer on sheet. Lightly coat tops of slices with more cooking spray.

2. Bake in a 425° regular or convection oven until eggplant is soft when pressed and polenta is heated through (cut to test), 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in an 8- to 10-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, stir onion, garlic, and basil occasionally until onion is lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomato purée and 1/4 cup water; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until flavors are blended, 5 to 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is done.

4. When eggplant is soft, sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan cheeses equally over eggplant and polenta. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.

5. On each of four dinner plates, place 1 eggplant slice (use largest slices first) and drizzle with 1 tablespoon sauce; top with 1 polenta slice and 1 tablespoon sauce. Repeat until all slices are used. If desired, garnish each stack with rosemary sprig. Spoon remaining sauce around base of eggplant stacks. Serve with breadsticks.