Moroccan Grilled Eggplant and Squash

Need a few new ideas for all of those zucchini and eggplant bursting forth from the garden this time of year?  Prepare to heat up the grill!

 

recipe courtesy of Driftless Organics

serves 4


The Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/3” thick rounds
1 large summer squash, sliced lengthwise into ¼” thick planks 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1 Tbsp lemon juice 
1 Tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp ground cumin 
½ tsp Hungarian paprika 
1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 
 Salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
Brush the eggplant and zucchini with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill or broil over high heat until soft and slightly charred, about 5-7 minutes per side.  Allow to cool slightly.   Chop coarsely and toss with remaining ingredients.

 Serve warm or room temperature with crusty bread or toasted pita.

The Review:
 I enjoyed this dish for several days of lunch.  Broiled or grilled, the eggplant didn't have the bitter or slightly slimy characteristics some unfairly pin on it.  Garden fresh and on the smaller end, the eggplants I used were almost sweet. 

The fresh garlic, paired with herbs and cumin was a huge hit (while for me anyway...I am a bit heavy handed on the garlic...I'm sure a few of my co-workers may have had an objection).

Perhaps a squirt more lemon next time around...

Thai Inspired Stir Fried Eggplant

Every week has become a challenge to use up as many veggies as possible before our next box arrives from the farm.  Even for a three adult household, a full bushel is a lot to take in!  The last few weeks a huge amount of produce is immediately blanched and frozen, pickled or otherwise canned.  To date I have about 3 pound of green beans, a scant pound of sugar peas, 6 jars of dill pickles, and 2 jars of pickled peppers already stored away.  Pickled beets, more pickled peppers and possibly even some sauerkraut  will all be in the works in the coming days.  And we haven't even come into tomatoes yet!  Oh the sauces and salsas that are to come!  I'll be sure to post a few canned goodies down the road...

But back to this week's veggies.

Eggplants.  Lots of them.  One large deep purple Italian variety and several beautiful Japanese eggplants.  Such a gorgeous pale lavender.  They were almost too pretty to eat...

I do make eggplant on a fairly regular basis, but I never have this much to use up in so short a time.  I wanted something quick that featured this veggie, so I looked to Thai food for inspiration.  Added bonus...the onion, garlic and basil were all part of this week's CSA box as well!

adapted from a recipe at About.com, of all places!

serves 3 


The Ingredients:
1 small red onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1-3 red chillies, juilienned
3   Japanese eggplants
2-3 Tbsp sesame oil 
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in  2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup fresh basil

The Process:
Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise and slice into 1/2-inch pieces.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok set over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, half of the garlic, chillies, and eggplant.  Saute for 5 minutes, adding water a Tbsp at a time to keep the pan from becoming too dry.

Add the soy sauce and continue stir-frying for 5 more minutes, or until the eggplant is tender.   Whisk together the fish sauce, oyster sauce and brown sugar.  Add to the skillet with the remaining garlic.  Mix until the eggplant is well coated.

Add the cornstarch/water mixture. Stir well so that the sauce thickens uniformly. Remove from heat.

Add three quarters of the basil to the eggplant and allow to wilt.  Garnish with remaining basil.  Serve with rice.

The Review:
The dish isn't much to look at, but don't judge a book by its cover...or an entree by how photogenic it is...

The taste speaks volumes!

I had my suspicions when I started adding the sauces.  Well, one sauce in particular.  Oyster sauce.  I love the deep unami flavor this pungent sauce adds to dishes, but when I'm cooking...oh that smell...I won't describe it lest it discourage you, dear reader, from trying this dish.  But don't be turned away.  The pungent aroma is nothing like the wonderful depth the sauce will add to the dish.

I was also surprised how fragant and at times overpowering the basil ended up being.  Most of us tried a leaf or two in the first forkfuls, but then began to eat around the herb, lest the eggplant be overpowered.

Though depending on your spice level, this may not be an issue.  Our heat was set to "wuss"

Miso Glazed Eggplant

I love eggplant but often find myself in a rut over how to prepare it. The Mediterranean standbys grow old and a bit to familiar. But while flipping through one of Ross' Men's Health magazine, an article jumped out about dressing up your veggies. Asian condiments and a hot broiler seemed a good fix for the eggplant rut.

adapted from "A Meat Lover's Guide to Vegetables" in Men's Health, October 2011

The Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices
2 Tbsp shiro (white) miso
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce

The Process:
Preheat the broiler.

Lightly brush both sides of the eggplant slices with vegetable or olive oil Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange the slices in a single layer.

Combine the miso, honey, vinegar, and soy sauce along with a dash of pepper. Whisk until well blended. Brush the sauce on the exposed sides of the slices.

Broil the eggplant 6 inches from the heat until the sauce is caramelized, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the slices, brush with exposed sides with sauce and broil 3-4 minutes more.

Remove the eggplant to a serving platter and brush with remaining sauce before serving.

The Review:
I adored the miso glazed salmon I tried a few months back. The fish had a lovely balance of sweet, salty and umami. The eggplant, though, lacked something. The funk of the miso seemed to overpower the honey and soy sauce instead of blending with it. The sauce didn't seem to caramelize as promised, so much as brown and burn. And while I have enjoyed many silky or meaty textures of eggplant, depending upon how prepared, this incarnation seemed almost slimy.

Next time perhaps the smaller Japanese eggplants are in order. And a bit more tweaking with the sauce ratio. There is always room for improvement, and never a failure without the chance for later success.

Eggplant Stuffed with Minced Meat Curry

I am finally becoming comfortable enough with my stash of Indian spices to foray into the world of curries without a cookbook as a guide. This curry is fairly mild when paired with eggplant. And the combination is a nice twist on a typically Italian dish.

The recipe is my own

serves 4-6

The Ingredients:
2 medium eggplants
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
1" stick of cinnamon
1/4 tsp whole cloves
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
2-3 black cardamom pods
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 clove garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely minced
1 Serrano pepper, seeded and finely minced
1 1/4 lb ground meat (lamb, turkey of beef)
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 cup peas

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350. Remove the tops of the eggplants and halve lengthwise. Prick the skins and place the eggplants face down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 30-40 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile heat the oil in a large skillet and add the bay leaves, cinanamon, cloves, peppercorns and cardamom. When the spices begin to sizzle, add the onions. Saute over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and pepper and saute for 1-2 minutes more.

Add the ground meat, and cook until no longer pink, 10-12 minutes. Break up any lumps with the back of a spoon. Add the tomato paste, cover and simmer.

Once the eggplants are cool enough to handle, spoon out the flesh from the center, leaving a 1/2" wall around the skin. Finely chop the flesh and add to the meat mixture. Stir in the garam masala, chili powder, turmeric and salt. Add peas and stir until combined. Simmer for about 10 more minutes. Remove the bay leaves, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick.

Spoon the minced meat curry into the eggplant halved=s, mounding slightly. Bake at 350 for an 20-25 minutes.

Serve with rice.

The Review:
My former Indian neighbors would have been proud.

Greek Picnic Pie

Quiche meets spanakopita, but with beautiful layers.

serves 6

adapted from Main Courses 365 edited by Jenni Fleetwoowd

The Ingredients:
1 pie crust, thawed if frozen
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
1 large eggplant, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
6 oz spinach, washed
4 eggs
3/4 c crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp plain yogurt
6 Tbsp heavy cream
2 c cooked white or brown rice
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350.

Roll out the pie crust thinly and line a 10 in quiche pan (my pryex pie plate fit the bill just fine). Prick the base all over and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the pastry is pale golden. Alternately bake blind, having lined the pastry with baking parchment and weighted it with a handful of baking beans.

Heat 2-3 Tbsp of the oil in frying pan and cook the eggplant slice for 6-8 on each side until golden. You may need to add a little more oil at first, but this will be released as the flesh softens. Lift out and drain on paper towel.

Add the onion and garlic to the oil remaining in the pan and cook over a gentle heat for 4-5 mintues, until soft, adding a little extra oil if necessary.

Chop the spinach finely, by hand or in a food processor. Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl, then stir in the spinach, crumbled feta, Parmesan, yogurt, milk and the onion mixture. Season to taste with salt an pepper and stir to thoroughly mix.

Spread the rice in an even layer over the base of the part-baked pie. Reserve a few eggplant slices for the top, and arrange the reminder in an even layer over the rice.

Spoon the spinach and feta mixture over the eggplant and place the remaining eggplant slices on top. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve the pie warm, or cool completely before transferring to a serving plate or wrapping and packing for a picnic.

My Modifications:
I used a little more feta, and little less Parmesan than recommended. I did not have fresh Parmesan on hand; instead I relied on the grated shaker variety sadly seen at every pizza place and lower quality Italian bistro...

I also upped the garlic to 3 cloves. Seriously, who doesn't love garlic?

The rice of choice was brown, and the pie crust was from scratch...recipe courtesy Better Homes and Gardens.

We also did not eat this right away...having miscalculated the amount of time it would take to make (if your starting from the beginning, you have to remember to figure in time to cook the rice and let if cool slightly...unless you're using minute rice, that could be almost an hour). The pie finished baking right about the time we had to run for a meeting. We left the dish to cool while we were gone, and upon our return were greeted with dinner just a hair above room temperature. Having set a while made it a breeze to cut, allowing all the layers to shine through.

The Review:
Even those who dislike eggplant will likely enjoy a piece of this pie! The layer of the veggie between the spinach/feta mixture the rice really acted a a barrier between the to, without imparting the bitterness or sogginess some occasionally associate with eggplant. Instead we were treated to a rich oven roasted veggie flavor. As a foot note, the recipe does suggest zucchini as a substitute for the eggplant if that aubergine colored veggie still turns you off...

The dish truly was a marriage of quiche and spanakopita...all the flavors of the later in the presentation of the former. And the layers were fun to see when I cut into the pie. I had first expected the egg mixture to seep into the rice, but was pleasantly surprised to see how well the eggplant acted as a barricade between the two.

I would have liked a little more of the egg/spinach filling and a little less rice though. Overall it was incredibly filling...more so than many quiches I've had in the past. In a way, perhaps that's where the rice comes into play. Not only is it a filler...it's also very filling. And by using brown rice, the pie had a nice nutty quality.

One thing I wish I had done (and hadn't noticed suggested as a footnote until after the fact) is to add a bit of oregano to the pie crust before blind baking. Really, when making a crust from scratch the add in options are limitless. I was a bit surprise to see a Greek dish without this herb added, but in the end the pie was incredibly flavorful without it.

This Greek treat was a bit time consuming to prepare...start to finish (including making the crust, cooking the rice, mixing up everything and baking) took about an hour and a half...closer to 2 hours if I hadn't been able to multitask while other parts cook or cooled. So you really do need to plan a bit ahead...

But really there are few complaints . It tasted wonderful fresh while at room temperature. It reheated very well the next day. And even served well as a cold lunch. A true find all around...

Eggplant Lasgana

Like the gluten-free love child of eggplant Parmesan and lasagna. Although, the picture is not much to look at...

After several successful attempts at eggplant Parmesan I wanted to try something with a similar flavor, but without the breading or frying. I have, over those Parmesan trials, developed a process to prep the eggplant in a way to minimize its bitterness and make the flesh much denser (and less slimy when cooked). It adds an hour to the prep time, but I find the payoff far worth it.

The recipe is my own.

serves 6

The Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/4" slices
kosher salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella, divided in thirds

The Sauce
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (4 oz) tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp sugar substitute
salt and pepper to taste

Spinach filling
1 Tbps olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 large white onion, thinly sliced
3 cups fresh baby spinach

Ricotta filling
8 oz low fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano

The Process:
Generously salt both sides of the slices of eggplant and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheets covered with paper towels. Top the slices with additional paper toweling and cover with a second baking sheet. Weight the sheet down with books or baking ware to compress the eggplant. Leave for one hour. When ready to use, wipe off excess salt.

Preheat the oven to 350.

For the sauce, in a medium saucepan, combine the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, parsley and basil over medium heat. Stir until well blended. Bring to a gentle boil, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and onion. Saute until the onion begins to turn tender. Add the baby spinach and saute until the spinach has wilted, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil and oregano until well blended.

Mist a 9"x9" baking dish with cooking spray. Layer about 1/3 of the eggplant in the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/2 of the spinach mixture, 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the mozzarella and about a third of the sauce. Repeat the layers, starting with the eggplant. Top the any remaining eggplant, and sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and, if desired, Parmesan cheese.

Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until heated through and the eggplant is tender. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

The Review:
We had a guest who had never tried eggplant before and even she truly enjoyed this dish. The flavors are simple (granted the prep is not). And with all of the textures and flavors, you really don't miss the noodles or meat. I would have loved to add portobella mushrooms to the spinach mixture; however, fungus is regularly shunned from any shared meals. And to shorten the prep time, any jar of sauce will do,as will ricotta without all the extras. I just prefer my own seasonings.