Slice eggplant in half along it’s length. Salt and lay down on cookie sheet with skin up. Bake in oven on high heat (450F) until flesh is soft and carmelized on bottom.
Remove and cool. Peel/scoop flesh away from skin and place in bowl. Discard skin. Add liberal amount of garlic (freshly minced or roasted for milder flavour), add table spoon of mayo, squeez of fresh lemon, salt and pepper to taste. Mash well with fork or process briefly on low in food processor. Chill.
Serve with toasted pita or fresh baguette as part of Mediteranian inspired menu.
Note: Yeah, I guess it’s kind of like baba ganush but without the tahini.
I also love me some eggplant lasagna (where eggplant slices are substituted for the pasta).
I’m looking for a great (but simple) Moussaka recipe. Anyone?
Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and let them drain. The more of the bitter liquid you allow to drain, the better the results.
Dip the slices in beaten egg and dredge in seasoned flour. I use pepper, garlic powder, and just a bit of paprika. Fry in olive oil until golden brown, drain on paper towel. They can be eaten as is, used in a sandwich, dipped in marinara sauce, etc.
Roast an eggplant and a head of garlic according to your favorite method. Cook up a pound of chunky pasta. Squoosh the eggplant and garlic out of their skins and moosh them together. Slice about half a pint of cherry tomatoes in half. Toss all ingeredients and serve warm, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkle with freshly-grated parmesan, if desired.
The purpose of salting eggplant for some recipes is to draw out fluid if you want the eggplant slices to retain their shape. Modern day eggplants don’t contain any bitter fluids unless they are too old to be eaten. In this case they should be sliced, sprinkled with salt and then thrown in the garbage.
I have tried it both ways. The final product has a superior flavor if it is salted and drained first. Perhaps I am inadvertantly using obsolete eggplants.
Grill or broil sliced eggplant until tender. Then toss the warm slices with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic and fresh basil leaves torn into dime-sized pieces. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Roast a whole eggplant over a grill or gas burner until the skin is charred and the inside is almost completely cooked. Then put it in a covered bowl for about half an hour or until cool enough to handle. Remove the charred skin and chop the innards. Mix with plain yogurt and minced cilantro or mint. Serve as a salad or side dish for spicy Indian curries.
Slice eggplant into thick rounds. Spread a very thin coat of mayo on each side, dip in parmesan. Bake in 350 oven until they are very brown. Great hot like that, or used inside sandwiches later.
Very low carb, low fat. Really delicious. I usually aim for sandwiches but don’t often manage to wait, and just scarf them hot.
