I love eggplant. I was craving an Asian eggplant dish I would sometimes get for lunch in Los Angeles. I was determined to duplicate it… and here it is. It tasted even better than I remembered! ☺

If you’re on the fence about eggplant, I hope you’ll try this dish or some of my others, like Baba Ganoush, Caponata, Meatless Moussaka or Eggplant Parmesan. It may just bring you to the “eggplant lovers” side!

Stir-Fried Asian Eggplant

INGREDIENTS
5 or 6 Asian Eggplants
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
2 Green Onions, sliced on the diagonal
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh Ginger, grated
½ cup Vegetable or Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 tsp Cornstarch
1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
Optional: Thai Basil and/or Cilantro

METHOD
In a large sauté pan or your Wok place the vegetable oil and sesame oil.
Heat on medium.
Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and then cut into 1-inch pieces.
Carefully put the eggplant into the hot oil and stir-fry for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the eggplant begins to soften.
Add in the green onions, garlic and ginger.
Continue to stir-fry for another minute or two.
Then add in the broth.
In a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar and cornstarch until smooth.
Add mixture into eggplant and stir until thickened, another minute or so.
Stir in half of the sesame seeds, and save the other half for garnish.
Also garnish with basil and/or cilantro, if desired.
Serve over Jasmine Rice.
Enjoy!

I love Mediterranean foods of all types. One of my favorites is Baba Ganoush. Eggplant or Aubergine (as it is called) is one of my favorite vegetables! Well, it’s actually a fruit, although most people think of it as a veggie.

People and different cultures put their own spin on Baba Ganoush by adding cayenne pepper, cumin, onions, tomatoes, etc. Most of the time the eggplant is mashed, rather than put in the food processor. This is just my way of doing it and I’ve never had any complaints… besides, it’s the best I’ve ever had.

I like to serve it drizzled with olive oil, served with pita bread and olives. In the picture above you see it on pita chips.

INGREDIENTS
2 medium-sized Eggplants
1/3 cup Tahini (sesame paste)
3 to 4 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
3 cloves Garlic, peeled
1 to 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Sea Salt
Fresh Parsley, as garnish

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Wash and dry eggplant.
Place eggplant on the flame of a gas burner and char the skin, turning until the eggplants are evenly charred on the outside.
I like my Baba Ganoush with a very smoky flavor, and the way to get it is to char the eggplants for about 10 minutes.
Place charred eggplants in a baking dish and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until very soft.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Most people remove the skins, but I NEVER do.
If you’d like to remove the skins, just cut the eggplant down the center and scoop out the soft pulpy inside.
Place the eggplant, Tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and salt into the food processor and blend until smooth.
Taste and season with additional lemon and salt, as desired.
Garnish with fresh parsley.
Serve with crackers, pita chips, crostini or a sliced baguette.
Enjoy!

Baba Ganoush is best served after it has been refrigerated for an hour or two.
Baba Ganoush will keep in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.

Caponata with Fresh Italian Bread and Burrata Cheese

Caponata is basically a cooked vegetable salad. It is a Sicilian dish that is usually made with eggplant and celery. I have left the celery out, only because I didn’t have any on the day that I was preparing it. Instead I added red and green bell peppers and it was delicious. There are actually many different variations of the dish and you can add in or leave out whatever you’d like or don’t like. I love serving it with bread and cheese. It makes a perfect appetizer, or in our case, my husband and I ate it as our dinner!

This recipe serves about 6 people… or 2 very hungry people.

INGREDIENTS
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 small eggplant, diced small
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, diced small
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, diced small
1 small Onion, diced small
2 Tomatoes, diced small
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Capers, rinsed
1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, pitted and halved
3 Tbsp fresh Parsley, chopped fine
2 Tbsp fresh Basil, chopped fine
Salt and pepper, to taste
Crushed Red Pepper, if desired

METHOD
Add the olive oil to a medium saucepan.
Add in the eggplant, peppers, onion and tomato.
Cook over medium heat until all the veggies are soft.
Add the garlic, vinegar, sugar, capers and olives and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the fresh parsley and basil.
Taste and add salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste.
Enjoy warm with fresh Italian bread and soft fresh Mozzarella!

We have eggplant at our house a lot. I love it prepared anyway ~ Baba Ganoush, Breaded & Fried, Grilled… But the ultimate for me, is my Eggplant Parmesan. I only use Parmesan Cheese in this recipe, so it’s not very cheesy like you will get at most restaurants. I hope you’ll give it a try. It’s delicious!

This recipes serves 10.

INGREDIENTS
2 large eggplants
2 cups Italian Style Bread Crumbs
2 cups All Purpose Flour
4 eggs, beaten
Olive Oil, for frying (no reason to use Extra Virgin)
2 Tbsp salt
2  28-oz cans Chunky Tomato Sauce
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp McCormick Italian Seasoning
2 cups Parmesan Cheese
Hearty Red Wine (Burgundy), optional

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large saucepan add the tomato sauce, garlic and Italian seasoning.  Add 1 cup of water. Stir and place on medium low heat.

Set up work area with 3 large bowls; one for bread crumbs, one for flour, and one for the beaten eggs (with about 1/3 cup of water added to them).

Slice the eggplant into ½ inch thick rounds.  Dip into flour, being sure to coat it well. Then dip into egg and finally into the bread crumbs. Set aside and continue the process until all the eggplant slices have been breaded. If you find that you need more bread crumbs, flour or eggs to complete all the eggplant slices, just go ahead and add it to your bowls.

Place about 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot begin to fry the eggplant, without crowding it in the pan. Fry until light golden brown. Place on paper towel to drain excess oil, lightly sprinkle with salt and continue with the next batch until all the eggplant has all been fried. Add oil as needed for frying. Eggplant does absorb the oil, so it is important to place them on the paper towels after frying.

If you’re good at multi-tasking in the kitchen, while you are frying the rest of the eggplant you can begin the assembling process.

In a 13” x 9” baking dish place a layer of tomato sauce.  Next place a layer of fried eggplant. Sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Repeat this process with another layer of tomato sauce, fried eggplant, and Parmesan cheese. Try not to leave big gaps of space between the eggplant rounds. If need be, you can cut some pieces to fit and make the layer perfect. Top the final layer with sauce and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle top and edges with some red wine, allowing it to seep into the eggplant.

Cover with tin foil and bake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving. If desired, serve topped with extra sauce.

Enjoy!

Meatless Moussaka

Moussaka is a Greek dish that is typically layered with potato, spiced meat (beef or lamb), eggplant and béchamel sauce. This is my take on it, making it vegetarian. I must admit that I wasn’t too sure how it was going to taste, but it ended up being the best Moussaka I’ve ever had.

I didn’t have any fresh spinach on hand, so I used frozen and it was perfect. If you’re going to use fresh, be sure that you end up with enough cooked spinach. You’ll need about 2 cups.

It’s best to make all of the layers and set them aside. Then assemble everything all at once. It may seem like it will take a long time to get it all done, but it’s really pretty simple, after all.

Even though the potatoes are the first layer, you want to prep them last, so they don’t turn brown!  (Just follow my recipe instructions).

I sure hope you give this recipe a try. You won’t be disappointed!

This recipes serves 6 to 8 people.

INGREDIENTS
For Eggplant Layer:
1 Eggplant
a little Salt & Pepper

For Mushroom Layer:
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
White Onion, diced
4 to 5 Cloves of Garlic, diced fine
1 lb. White Mushrooms, diced fine
1 – 8 oz. can of diced Tomatoes, drained
cup White Wine
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Oregano, dry
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg

For Spinach Layer:
2 cups cooked Spinach (I used 1 lb. of frozen, chopped spinach)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

For Bechamel Topping:
6 Tbsp of Butter
3 to 4 Tbsp Flour
Milk of choice, approximately ¾ cup or more (enough to thin to desired consistency)
Salt, to taste

For Potato Layer:
2 Potatoes, peeled and sliced very thin (I used the mandolin)
cup Bread Crumbs
Olive Oil

METHOD
For Eggplant Layer:
Roast the eggplant on the grill or gas stovetop, until the skin is blackened.
Put eggplant on a baking dish and continue to bake in the oven until eggplant is soft, but still whole.
Peel skin and slice eggplant into thin slices.
Set aside.

For Mushroom Layer:
In a large frying pan on medium heat, add the butter and olive oil.
Add the onion and garlic and sauté for a moment to get the flavors into the oil.
Add the mushrooms and cook until tender (about 10 minutes).
Add the tomatoes, white wine, Worcestershire Sauce, Oregano, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.
Continue to cook over medium low heat until some of the wine has cooked down.
Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Set aside.

For Spinach Layer:
If you’re using fresh spinach, just cook it down and season it with a little salt and pepper.
Be sure to remove all excess water from the spinach before layering it into the Moussaka.
Bechamel Sauce:
Melt butter in a small saucepan on low heat.
Whisk in the flour.
Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the milk, getting rid of any lumps.
Return to heat and continue to whisk until sauce bubbles.
Taste and season with salt, if desired.
Thin with more milk, if needed.
You want to end up with the consistency of gravy.
Set aside.

Assembly:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray/rub a little olive oil onto the bottom of a 9” x 11” casserole pan.
Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the bottom of the pan.
Place an overlapping layer of sliced potatoes, using them all.
Pour the mushroom mixture over the potato layer.
Place the sliced eggplant pieces evenly over the mushroom mixture.
Cover the eggplant layer with the spinach (don’t forget to squeeze out any excess liquid).
Pour the Bechamel Sauce over the spinach, covering the entire casserole.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and continue to bake for another 20 minutes, until Bechamel sauce is lightly browned.
Let the Moussaka rest for about 15 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!