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Eggplant Recipes

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The Beautiful and Tasty Aubergine

This lens grew out of wanting to have a handy reference of eggplant recipes without having to weed through all the recipe sites out there every time. Although it doesn't have much taste by itself it soaks up the flavors you put with it very well. It especially acts as a sponge for any oils you use (so use the best!). I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor.

My Personal Favorite

Ratatouille by Ross Spoon (bwhistler) on Flickr

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes to an hour

My basic ratatouille recipe comes from a huge cookbook I had when I was a girl that was full of photos and recipes from around the world. I don't measure ingredients any more so it goes something like this. I also don't really have a clear idea of how many people it feeds and how long it takes to make, so I guesstimated.

Ingredients

One or two onions
peeled and coarsely chopped
One or two cloves of garlic
peeled and mashed
1-2 green peppers
cleaned and cut into strips
2 sweet red and/or orange peppers
cleaned and cut into strips
2-3 small zucchini
sliced
1 eggplant
peeled and cut into small cubes
2 or 3 fresh tomatoes
peeled and chopped or one can of diced tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon dried basil

Instructions

The original recipe called for the eggplant to be soaked in cold salt water for 15 minutes to take some of the bitterness out. I always did that until recently when I discovered that modern eggplants don't have that much bitterness to begin with.

Heat 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a heavy bottom saucepan or enameled iron french oven such as LeCreuset makes. (I use my Le Creuset Round French Oven and it makes all the difference.) Add onion and garlic, cover, and let cook 5 minutes. Add peppers, stir, cover, and cook 5 minutes. Add zucchini, stir, cover and cook 5 minutes. Add eggplant, stir, cover and cook 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and optional basil and cook 10 minutes or longer, depending on how soft you want the vegetables and how juicy you want the ratatuoille.

Printable Version

More Ratatouille Recipes

Cooking for Engineers Ratatouille Recipe: This recipe uses a different method than I do and adds mushrooms. Great pictures and instructions.
Epicurious' Ratatouille Recipe: This makes a much larger batch.
Dad's Ratatouille Recipe: Same ingredients with the addition of thyme and rosemary, different method.

Eggplant Parmigiana Recipes

The Classic Italian Dish

Eggplant Parmigiana is eggplant coated in breading then fried or baked, then covered with tomato sauce and cheese.

Bertolli Baked Eggplant Parmigiana: Italian bread crumbs, parmigian, mozarella, and Bertolli premade sauce makes this an easy recipe.
Mario Batali's Eggplant Parmigiana: Fresh basil and sauce made from scratch make this mouthwatering.
Alla Scalini's Eggplant Parmigiana: You have to go to this site just to read how pregnant women go to this restaurant to eat the eggplant parmigiana to induce labor. The recipe sounds rich and flavorful, too.
Low-Fat Eggplant Parmigiana: Red bell pepper, mushrooms and red wine add a little extra something to this recipe.

Moussaka

The Classic Greek Eggplant Dish

Moussaka is a mouthwatering and rich combination of meat, tomatoes, layered with eggplant and smothered in a cheesy thick white sauce (also called bechamel). Traditional moussaka calls for ground lamb but ground beef is an acceptable substitute.

Grilled Eggplant Moussaka: Grilling the vegetables first - eggplant, zucchini, and potatoes - gives this a flavorful twist. There are a lot of moussaka recipes with variations out there but I don't think they can really be called moussaka without cinnamon and allspice or clove.
Classic Greek Moussaka: Cinnamon and allspice added to the meat gives it that classic eastern Mediterranean flavor.
Vegetarian Moussaka: Lentils replace the meat in this recipe.
Milwaukee Moussaka: This has a completely different flavor profile than traditional moussaka but I couldn't say no to the addition of bacon. The herbs are thyme, marjoram, sage and the cheese is swiss so it is a completely different animal. But still mouthwatering.

Eggplant

More Than 75 Delicious Recipes

Eggplant: More Than 75 Delicious Recipes

by: Ofir Jovani

Amazon Price: $11.13 (as of 05/31/2012)

Exotic in taste and texture, the succulent eggplant can add intrigue to almost any dish. Unlock the eggplant's uncanny powers with these 75-plus recipes embracing every facet of the meal-from salad (Eggplant with Silan Sauce) to soup (Eggplant Gazpacho) to main course (Eggplant Bolognaise Lasagna). Amid old favorites such as Stuffed Eggplant and Traditional Greek Moussaka, you'll find such ingenious concoctions as Eggplant-Stuffed Calamari, Roast Goose Legs in Eggplant with Caramel Sauce-even Balsamic and Ginger Eggplant Jam. There's an also introductory guide to selecting and preparing these extraordinary fruits (yes, they are fruits!)

Baba Ghanoush Recipes

The Classic Eastern Mediterranean Appetizer

Baba Ghanoush is a dip made from eggplant, garlic, olive oil, tahini (sesame seed paste) all mashed up together. Think hummus with eggplant instead of chick peas.

Baba Ghanoush: The basic dip with tahini, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil
Grilled Baba Ghanoush: Grilling the eggplant adds a nice smoky flavor.
Baba Ganoush Meets Hummus: This Baba Ganoush recipe is literally a mashup of eggplant and chick peas.
Fat Free Baba Ganoush: Cumin and parsley spice this up.
Chili Lime Baba Ganoush: A little chili powder, a little lime - yum!

Eggplant Cookbooks

Asian Style Eggplant Recipes

Szechuan Spicy Eggplant: This has not just eggplant but also ground beef and shrimp plus the hot kick that makes it Szechuan.
Jalapeno Asian Eggplant: Simple recipe flavored with cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, onion and ginger.
Spicy Asian Eggplant with Tofu and Red Pepper: The title says it all.
Hot and Sour Chinese Eggplant: Chili oil and green chili pepper add the heat to chinese eggplants.
Tamarind Eggplant with Roasted Garlic and Mango: My midwestern palate is shocked at the idea of this but I'm sure it tastes great.
Asian Eggplant Soup: Ginger, green chili, cabbage, mushrooms, eggplant, carrots, basil and Knorr asian hot and spicy soup mix.

Grow Your Own!

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