Favorite recipes for eggplant?

[mandyky]

I love Eggplant Parmesan, but have never made it at home. Any good recipes in here?

I have been reading up on eggplant, and it's said to be like tofu.
I assume high on protein. But fairly tasteless.

What else do you use eggplant in?

I put eggplant in my lasagna and spaghetti sauce, last time.

[merci_me]

1. One of my favorite eggplant recipes

is for Hunan style eggplant. I'm a wuzz when it comes to hot foods, but my husband swears this isn't THAT hot. I really love this, but find I enjoy it better with a side of creamy cottage cheese on the side to cool my mouth a bit.

Also, the chili paste I use is sriracha hot chili sauce. You can find it in Asian markets, but around here all the regular groceries sell it now, usually in the same area with the regular chili sauces. I suppose any hot chili sauce would work as well. The original recipe doesn't specify, it just says chili paste with garlic.

EGGPLANT HUNAN STYLE

6 TBSP peanut oil, divided
1 eggplant (1-1/2 to 2 lbs) cut into 1 in chunks (unpeeled)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBSP chili paste with garlic
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 TBSP soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
2 TBSP chopped green onion
1 tsp oriental sesame oil

Heat 4 tablespoons peanut oil in heavy 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant and stir-fry until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon; set aside. Add remaining peanut oil to skillet and warm over medium heat. Add garlic, chili paste and ginger and cook about 15 seconds. Add stock, soy sauce and sugar and bring to boil. Add vinegar and eggplant and cook until eggplant has absorbed most of the sauce, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in green onion and sesame oil. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Mary

[yellowdogintexas]

2. Ratatouille...classic Provencale dish

eggplant
yellow squash and/or zuchinni
bell peppers..red, green,yellow, whatever
fresh tomatoesm,hopped
onions
garlic (lots)
basil
oregano
olive oil


cut up allthe veggies: I cube the eggplant, julienne squash and peppers
slice the onions long ways, etc.


heat up the olive oil. saute the onions and garlic then add the eggplant, saute until partially cooked, then add the squash and bell pepper and continue to saute. You can add a tiny bit of water and cover to steam for a bit if you like. Salt will bring the liquid out of the egg plant and keep it from sticking. Once the veggies are to the desired degree of doneness, add the fresh basil and oregano, and chopped tomatoes. Cover just long enough for the tomatoes to get warm all the way through. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serv as a side dish, or over rice. You can sprinkle grated mozzerella cheese or parmesan for a nice touch.

[Lugnut]

3. I don't eat eggplant but

This is how I make it for my family. It's a very easy dish to make and they like it. Quantities vary according to how much you make.

Slice eggplant into app. 1/2 inch rounds. Spread them out on cookie sheets lined with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with salt and set aside for about 10 - 15 minutes. The salt draws out the bitterness. Heat olive oil to medium to fry eggplant slices. I use a bottled spaghetti sauce for this dish.

Wipe the salt off the slices, dredge in seasoned flour and fry in oil until golden on both sides and soft. Drain on papers towels. I use a 9 X 13 baking dish since I usually make at least two good sized eggplant at a time. Pour a little tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and alternately layer eggpalnt slices with sauce. Sprinkle a generous amount of grated Romano or parmigiana cheese on top of the slices, cover with foil and bake in a 350 oven for about 1/2 hour.

[grasswire]

4. my family likes it fried, alongside fettucine alfredo

I slice it thinly and salt it and let sit, then I pat dry, dip the slices in beaten egg and then in Progresso Italian crumbs, then brown in olive oil cut 1/2-1/2 with vegetable oil.

[livetohike]

5. Eggplant Parmesan

Here is an easy recipe that I think I got from one of Mollie Katzen's cookbooks.

1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2" thick rounds
1 cup milk
2 cups breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
1 t. thyme
32 oz jar spaghetti sauce, or your own homemade
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan

Set oven at 425 F. Oil a 9 x 13" pan and a baking sheet. Combine breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, and thyme in a shallow bowl. Pour milk into another shallow bowl. Dip each eggplant slice into the milk and then into the breadcrumbs mixture to cover. Fill the pan and the baking sheet and bake in the oven until browned (about 30 minutes) .

Make a layer of eggplant slices, cover each slice with the spaghetti sauce, then some mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers and sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top. Cover with foil and bake about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool about 5 minutes, then serve.

[Warpy]

6. The simplest way I use it is to slice it into 1/2 inch thick slices

salt it and drain it to get rid of the black goo, rub it with a chipotle rub and grill it.

Eggplant is actually low in protein, moderate in carbs, fat free, and full of water.

[mike_c]

7. well, mousaka of course, but that might be a bit more work...

...than you had in mind.

[mandyky]

8. what is it and how do you make it?

LOL

[mike_c]

9. OH GOD, I can't find my moussaka recipe....

It's eggplant (aubergines), minced lamb, and bechemel sauce, basically. Here's a recipe I found on the web that is close to mine, but use ground lamb, NOT ground beef.

http://www.greek-recipe.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article167

1 kg aubergines (large or/and elongated variety)
160 ml vegetable oil (about 1 teacup)
1 large onion, finely sliced
450 gr. minced beef
1 glass white wine (not retsina, but aretsinoto)
350 gr. fresh tornatoes, 1400 gr. tomatoes, drained of some of their juice and chopped
teaspoon ground cinnamon
teaspoon ground allspice
salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
25 gr. grated parmesan, kefalotiri, or Gruyere cheese
some chopped parsley

Bechamel Sauce
80 gr. butter
80 gr. flour
600 ml warm milk
salt and white pepper
30 gr. grated Parmesan or Gruyere cheese
2 egg yolks

Topping
z 60 gr. grated Parmesan,Gruyere or kefalotiri cheese
4 tablespoons toasted breadcrumbs

Serves 6 persons as a main course!

METHOD

Moussaka should be baked in the oven. Use a roasting container, eitber square or oblong, approximately 25x25 cm or 39x28 cm. It is recommended that you spread the work involved over two days for your convinience; one can easily cook the meat the day before, witbout the Moussaka suffering at all. Do not do the same with the aubergines; they should be fried on the day.

Aubergines
Top and tail the aubergines, without peeling them. Rinse them, cut them lengthways in 75-mm thick slices and immerse them in salted water, for 30 minutes.Take them out, squeeze gently, rinse, then squeeze them again. Drain them in a colander and pat dry. Fry them in hot vegetable oil until they become pale golden on both sides; you can either deep-fry them, which is easier but they absorb a lot of oil, or shallow-fry them. In either case, drain them on absorbent paper on a flat platter before serving, so that most of their oil will dribble away.

Meat
Sautee the sliced onion in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, until it looks glistening. Add the meat and sautee together, stirring, until all the lumps are broken down and the meat starts to change colour. Pour in the wine, add tomatoes, sliced finely, the spices, salt and pepper and the oregano. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time in case it sticks. Then mix in the grated cheese and parsley.

Bechamel Sauce
Melt the butter and, away from the heat, gradually add the flour and stir to amalgamate. Return to the heat and gradually add the milk and seasoning, stirring continuously. Simmer for 9-10 minutes, stirring, until it has thickened considerably. Withdraw the pan from the heat, let it stand briefly, then add the cheese and the egg yolks. Stir to amalgamate them. Do not let the sauce boil after this. It should by now be a thick bechamel, to enable it to sit on top of the meat mixture and form a kind of crust.

To assemble, cover the base of the roasting dish with half of the fried aubergines, then spread half of the meat mixture evenly on top of them and cover neatly with the remaining aubergines. Spread the remaining meat and sauce evenly over the top and cover neatly with the bechamel sauce. Sprinkle the grated cheese all over the top, and the breadcrumbs. Moussaka from Macedonia may contain a layer of thinly sliced roun potatoes which have been fried first. Bake in a pre-heated oven, gas no.4/ 350 grades F/ 180 grades C, for 1 hour, untit a golden crust is formed all over the top. Let it stand for 5 minutes before serving, in order to be able to cut it more easily. To serve, cut into square or oblong-shaped pieces, about 8 cm thick. It should be quite dry by then and the pieces should ideally stay intact.

[yellowdawgdem]

10. being fairly lazy

I usually just cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, and bake them for an hour with the skin side up. Usually at 350. then you can do anything with them once they are baked, and they will not be drenched in oil.
I sometimes make a casserole, by layering slices of eplant , mozz cheese, onion, mushrooms, and tomato sauce. It's good, but equally good, for me is to just bake and eat with some tahini or butter smeared on.

[mandyky]

11. I made a bunch of stuff today and put some eggplant in

the veggie lasagna with Alfredo sauce, my enchilada buritos, and my spanish rice.

I have 2 eggplants left and will try my hand at eggplant parmesan later this month. I think I'll also put some eggplant in my brocolli cheese soup and my potato soup.

Thanks for all the recipes and ideas. I'll play with egpplant stuff for the next few months.

[Kadie]

12. Puff, the magic meal

Puff, the magic meal

This is an old Richard Simmons recipe that I have used many many times. Yummy!

Nonstick olive oil cooking spray
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
2 cups Japanese eggplant, unpeeled, cut into fourths lengthwise, then cut crosswise into small chunks
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon each dried oregano and ground cinnamon and salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 tablespoon light butter

Yorkshire pudding
2 large eggs
1 cup skim milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. Coast large nonstick skillet with cooking spray, Heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and eggplant. Cook, stirring
occasionally, 5 - 7 minutes or until onion is softened and eggplant is golden brown. Remove vegetables from skillet
and set aside.

2. Re-coat skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Add turkey. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until
no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add basil, oregano, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Stir in tomato sauce and reserved eggplant
mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place butter in 10 inch pie plate. Place in oven until butter is melted.

4. Yorkshire pudding: In medium bowl beat eggs lightly. Add milk. Beat until well blended. Add flour and salt. beat until batter
is smooth. Pour batter into heated pie plate. Place turkey mixture in middle of batter. Spread out to withing 1 inch of edge. Sprinkle
with cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.

5. Bake 30 minutes or until brown and puffy. Cut into wedges and serve.