Since I was getting a little bored with my usual produce rotation, I decided that I should be brave and try a different fruit or vegetable every week.
This week's adventure is eggplant.. I have never eaten it (at least not knowingly), so I have no clue how to prepare it. I figure I might be able to grill it, but I am not sure.
Eggplant Parmesan!! Check out cookinglight.com they have a great receipe for it. I just tried it recently and it delicious. I will warn you though, it's fairly labor intensive so I would suggest making it on a Saturday or Sunday but it's super good!
Good luck, I've never cared for regular eggplant. If someone wants to try eggplant, I always recommend the japanese/chinese variations which are long and skinny. They are soooo good. I eat them roasted or sometimes cubed with various spices and canned tomatoes.
I also have never found a way to make regular (the large dark purple "standard") eggplant taste good to me. Though I love the thin oriental eggplants though (in solid or striped combinations of white, pink, and purple), and I even like the eggplant that is the size and shape of a chicken or goose egg. I never understood why eggplants were called eggplants until I found those at the farmers' market. The white ones look and are shaped like eggs. Then there are green striped ones that look like painted easter eggs. I like the small egg-shaped eggplants, but they have a lot of seeds, so I like the longer asian varieties better.
My favoirte way to make the long egglants (that you could do with the larger ones) is to cut into large chunks, shake in a bit of oil and then shake on seasoning mix and shake again. Then roast in a pan at abouty 400 to 425 degrees until tender, about 25 minutes or so. I usually use ranch dressing mix powder as the seasoning.
Oh I've seen the skinny ones too, I didn't know they actually taste different than the big ones. I will give them a try in a few weeks.
And I guess I will keep other more familiar veggies on hand in case the eggplant experiment doesn't turn out too good :P
1. Slice crossways about 1/4 inch thick. Spray both sides with non-stick cooking spray. Add salt, pepper, garlic, maybe a pinch of oregano or fresh basil. Put in the George Forman grill until for a few minutes till you have nice grill marks. It will compress. Then make sandwiches of them with cheese in between. Laughing Cow works, or a generous sprinkle of any flavorful grated cheese. Put the "sandwiches" back in the grill just to melt the cheese. Eat with knife and fork.
2. Poke a few holes in the purple beauty and roast in the oven until it sort of collapses in on itself. Cut in half lengthwise and cool till you can handle it. Scoop out the insides which will be a mush. Using a fork and sort of pulling works well. Season with fresh finely minced garlic, salt, pepper, bit of olive oil if it is in your calorie budget, and chopped Italian parsley. Use as a dip for crackers or scoop it up in lettuce leaves, etc.
Grilling it is a great way to go. I brush lightly with olive oil, grind fresh pepper on it, maybe some chopped garlic and oregano, and then grill until it is really soft.
Next time I will have to take it a step further and try Tommy's suggestion to make sandwiches out of them with melted cheese... Yum! Too bad nobody else in my house likes eggplant, though...
I quarter it and then chop it in one inch pieces. Toss with olive oil and salt/pepper, and then roast for about 20 minutes until done. I roast mine to the limit - wrinkly skin and almost a sweet, chewy texture. Pour over hot couscous and drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar. Yum! One of my favorite meals.
I don't like slimy eggplant at all. You can help with the texture by liberally salting it and letting it sweat for about 30 minutes before cooking. (Be sure and rinse it off afterward.) Do that before you chop in to smaller pieces because it will be easier to rinse and pat dry before you season it.
I also LOVE eggplant--believe it or not, you can take the end off, wash it well, wrap it up in foil and bake it like a potato--when you bring it out mash it with some parmasean and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil if you like--or go with 5 calorie margarine--super yummy.
Since I was getting a little bored with my usual produce rotation, I decided that I should be brave and try a different fruit or vegetable every week.
This week's adventure is eggplant.. I have never eaten it (at least not knowingly), so I have no clue how to prepare it. I figure I might be able to grill it, but I am not sure.
Any suggestions, recipes?
Thanks
For me, the key to any eggplant dish is to remove the potential bitterness. Cut the eggplant long ways into 1/4 inch slices and generously salt both sides. Place them on a wire rack above a sheet pan or some paper towels for around 30 minutes. The salt will extract some liquid and most of the bitterness. Rinse off the slices and dry them before using in a dish. Cut back on any salt called for in the recipe as the eggplant will retain some.
The slices work well for grilling but also for baking. Lightly oil each side and bake on a sheet pan at 300* F until tender. Grilled or baked,either way makes a great subsitute for pasta in a lasanga.
I just got an eggplant...What do I do with it?
