Looking for your favorite (easy) eggplant recipes

[dbsam]

I have a lot of Ichiban eggplant! 

I'm running out of ideas and need some easy recipes.  (we are vegetarian)

TIA

[lunarlady]

Here are my three favorite ways to eat eggplant.  Let me know if you need more details:

Stir fried with terriyaki sauce.

Roasted or grilled with olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

Baked in a casserole with tomato sauce, cheese, spinach and mushrooms.

It is also quite good made into a tapinade with roasted garlic, olives, and parsley, chopped and added to pasta dishes, roasted and blended into babaganouch (sp?), or grilled and served in or on top of salads. 

And for what it is worth all types of eggplant will behave pretty much the same.  So although you have an asian style eggplant, you can feel free to do italian/greek style dishes with them.  Good luck!

[dbsam]

lunarlady,

Thank you.

I've been grilling it, making ratatouille, and sautéing with other veggies. 

I've never baked it.  I have sauce, spinach and mushrooms...do you simply layer the ingredients and bake until tender?  Does it turn out really mushy?

I looked up tapenade recipes and am going to try it.

I have panko and was thinking of breading it - maybe I'll bread and brown before baking with the sauce.

I've never grown this type of eggplant.  I know it can be used interchangeably; I was hoping this style would be a little more firm and less mushy. 

[nstewart]

Two recipes:

Grilled egg plant sandwiches.  You make an artichoke mayo to spread on some nice chewy bread.  Brush the bread with olive oil and grill it.  Brush the egg plant with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and grill.  Put together your sandwich, and voila!

The other recipe I haven't actually tried yet, but am going to try tonight for supper.  Grilled egg plant pizza.  This is a good summer one too.  Slice and season your egg plant and then grill it.  Roll out pizza dough (I make big batches and keep dough frozen in the freezer).  Brush grill with oil and grill one side of the dough.  Flip dough over.  Top with egg plant, drained canned chopped tomatoes (this is what the recipe calls for, but I think I'm going to grill some cocktail tomatoes instead), fresh basil and mozza cheese and return to the grill until cheese is melted (4-5 mins).  Grilled pizza is so yummy!

[lunarlady]

To prevent mushy eggplant you either need to sweat it first or bake/fry it before making the casserole. I usually do both to be safe.

To sweat cut eggplant into slices, then lightly salt both sides. Set on a rack for a few hours. The salt will draw the moisture out. Thicker slices will stay firmer when cooked. I do mine about a half inch (1.5 cm) thick.

I usually then fry the slices in olive oil, and layer in a dish with the spinach, mushrooms, cheese, and sauce. You should cook both the spinach and mushrooms first too, or the dish will be very runny. Comes out like a lasagna. It is a lazy man's eggplant Parmesan, a dish in which you do bread and fry the eggplant before layering with sauce and a lot of cheese before baking. That dish is excellent, but the breading is more effort than I am willing to expend.

[es1967]

I just made an eggplant dip the other day. If you google Dr Weil's eggplant and walnut dip it comes right up.  Its very easy and a good way to use up your eggplant.

[ZahMah]

I love to make babaganoush:

roast one whole eggplant - I like to roast over low flame or hot coals...

peel and place eggplant in food processor

add 3 Tbsp tahini, 3 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 large cloves garlic, 1 tsp sea salt

puree and serve as a dip or spread

I also cut into small slices, soak in salt water for 2 hours, drain and rinse

In a hot pan with 2 Tbsp olive oil toss cook the eggplant for 3 minutes

Add 3-5 chopped tomatoes, 2 minced cloves garlic, 1 chopped onion

Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stir frequently

Add 1-2 cups ground lamb or beef, cook for 5 more minutes

Add 6 chopped cremini or button mushrooms, 2Tbsp chopped rosemary, 1 tsp oregano, and 2 tsp sea salt

sprinkle with balasamic vinegar

Serve over pasta or rice

[nstewart]

So I just wanted to say that I did do the pizza and it was very good.  Even DS loved it!I also added some roasted red pepper, which I just roasted on the BBQ at the same time I grilled the eggplant.  I had left overs of the eggplant and actually just added it to one of my favourite "leftovers'" dishes: quesadillas.  I just saute peppers with onion, add some salsa, add it to left over roasted chicken and threw in the eggplant.  Easy and yumm.