Cold Spiced Eggplant - Craig Claiborne & Virginia Lee

2 medium young eggplants (about 1.75 lbs total, Japanese work well)

3 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
2.5 tsp dry sherry or shao hsing wine
1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp chopped ginger
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1. Steam eggplant for about 30 minutes, or until tender to the core. Let cool.

2. Combine Soy sauce through sesame oil.

3. Over a high flame, heat the tablespoon of oil in a saucepan and add the garlic and ginger. Cook about ten seconds, then stir in the soy sauce mixture. Bring to just a boil and remove from heat. Let cool.

4. Cut or pull the cool eggplant into shreds. Pour the sauce over, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve.

Salt 4 or 5 eggplants -- cut into cubes.
3 large onions
2 large green peppers -- or 1 green and 1 red
¼ cup salt
2 ½ cups brown vinegar (I used cidar vinegar, but believe brown vinegar is a malt vinegar)
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon mustard seed
teaspoon tumeric
¼ tablespoon cloves

Put cubed eggplants into a colander and sprinkle generously with salt. Place a heavy plate that is large enough to cover the eggplant and weigh down so that the eggplant is compressed. Let stand for about 3 hours, drain well.

Thinly slice onions and peppers.

Combine vinegar, sugar and spices and bring to a boil. Add the above vegetables and heat thoroughly, but do not boil. Pack into hot, sterile jars. Cover with syrup and seal.

Cucumbers can be used in place of eggplant. 12 to 15 cucumbers.

Boil eggplants in a large pot of water until fork tender. Cool. Chop the onion, pepper & green onions fine, saute in the bacon drippings with garlic for 5 minute until wilted.
Slice the eggplants in 1/2 lengthwise. Scoop out the eggplant pulp carefully so as not to damage the skin. Add the pulp to the oinions mixutre & simmer uncovered 20 minutes. Stir in the parsley & simmer about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Squueze the bread dry & mix in well. Add the chopped shrimp & ground ham. blend in 1 or 2 eggs to bind; season w/salt & pepper to taste. Stir in a few bread crumbs if needed. Stuff the shells, sprinkle w/bread crumbs & dot w/butter. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 15 minutes.~~Cotton Country Collection

EGGPLANT TOMATO CASSEROLE (serves 6)
1 large eggplant
1/2 onions, chopped
2 1/2 TBL butter, melted
1 lb can peeled tomatoes
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Dash garlic salt
Dash pepper
1 tsp flour
2 TBL grated Parmesan

Peel eggplant & cut into 1/2" cubes. Boil in salted water for 1 minutes. Drain.
Saute onion in 2 TBL of the butter. Add tomatoes, bouillon cubes, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, garlic salt, pepper, sugar & flour. Mix well.
Add remaining butter to eggplant & stir gently to coat each cube.
Place 1/2 the eggplant in a casserole. Layer 1/2 the tomato sauce over eggplant. Repeat layers. Sprinkle w/Parmesan. Broil until cheese melts. Serve immediately.~~Bound to Please

Melintzanosalata
(Roasted Eggplant Salad)

Deliciously different! A perfect appetizer spread with crackers.

1 large eggplant
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup wine vinegar or lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
Salt and pepper to taste

•Place whole, washed eggplant in greased baking pan.
•Bake at 350° oven 60 minutes, until soft. Allow skin to turn black so as to give a smoky flavor to the salad.
•Allow eggplant to cool off a bit so you can handle it.
•Slice the eggplant down the middle and scoop out the pulp.
•Put the eggplant pulp on a cutting board and chop it up finely.
•Lightly sauté chopped onion and garlic in olive oil.
•In a bowl, combine the chopped eggplant, onion and garlic mixture with all the olive oil, and vinegar or lemon juice.
•Salt and pepper to taste.
•Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
•Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Serve with pita bread, flat bread, or whole wheat/sesame crackers (like Ak Mak).

Briami
(Baked Summer Vegetables)

A variety of summer vegetables, baked in olive oil. A simple, tasty, and nutritious casserole. Use as a main dish or a delicious vegetable side dish.

1 pound summer squash (zucchini, crookneck, etc.)
1 pound eggplant
1 pound potatoes
2 onions
1 - 1½ pounds tomatoes (fresh or canned)
½ - 1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chopped parsley
½ cup water, hot
2 green peppers (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1 cup buttered breadcrumbs (optional)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

•Scrub squash and cut off ends; cut in ¼ inch slices or in 1 inch chunks.
•Scrub eggplant and cut off ends; cut into ¼ inch slices. (Eggplant may be salted and set aside on paper towels to release moisture for at least 30 minutes. Rinse well before adding to casserole.)
•Wash and peel potatoes; cut in ¼ inch slices.
•Peel onions; cut in ¼ inch slices.
•Wash, peel and cut tomatoes into slices (roughly slice or chop canned whole tomatoes).
•If using peppers, wash, remove seeds and cut into strips.
•Beginning with sliced potatoes, layer all vegetables in a large casserole.
•Salt and pepper each layer of vegetables lightly (If eggplant slices have been pre-salted, do not salt eggplant layer.)
•Add olive oil and hot water.
•Cover and bake at 350° for 60 minutes.
•(If desired, sprinkle with buttered breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese.)
•Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
•Let stand uncovered 10-15 minutes before serving.

For a complete vegetarian meal, serve with hearty bread slices and a fresh salad. May be served hot, warm, room temperature, or even cold.

Moussaka
(Greek Eggplant Casserole)

A classic Greek dish, famous throughout the world, and a favorite at Greek restaurants and festivals. Delicious eggplant layered with a spicy tomato sauce and topped off with a Parmesan flavored egg custard. A feast for the eyes and the palate!

Meat Sauce:
1 pound lean ground beef or lamb
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 – 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 - 6 ounce can.tomato paste
¾-1 cup water or broth (may substitute up to ½ cup wine for water or broth)
1/8-teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Greek oregano
Salt & pepper to taste

Eggplant:
3 large eggplants
Vegetable oil
Flour (optional)
Egg (optional)

Cream Sauce:
½ cup flour
½ cup butter
2 cups warmed milk
4 eggs, beaten
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Dash nutmeg
Salt to taste

Meat Sauce Preparation:
•Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent; do not brown.
•In separate pan, brown ground beef or lamb; drain well.
•Add browned ground meat, tomato paste, water, broth, or wine, nutmeg, allspice cinnamon, and oregano to onion mixture.
•Simmer about 20 minutes over medium heat; sauce will not be juicy.
•Season to taste with salt and pepper (do not over salt).

Cream Sauce Preparation:
•Melt butter and stir in flour.
•Cook over medium/low heat, stirring until mixture is well blended and bubbling.
•Off heat, add warmed milk slowly and stir continuously until sauce is well blended and thickened.
•Sauce will be quite thick.
•Season lightly with salt.
•Allow sauce to cool.
•Add beaten eggs to sauce; stir until all sauce is blended with eggs.
•Stir in ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and dash nutmeg.

Eggplant Preparation:
•If desired, peel eggplant.
•Slice into 1/3-½ inch rounds.
•Sprinkle both sides of slices heavily with salt.
•Set aside on paper towels to release moisture for at least 30 minutes.
•Rinse eggplant slices and blot completely dry.
•Choose a browning method for eggplant:
1.Baked – Brush eggplant slices with oil and bake in 425° oven, turning once, until both sides are golden brown (about 10 minutes per side); do not overcook.
2.Broiled – Brush eggplant slices with oil and broil, turning once, until both sides are golden brown (about 5-7 minutes per side); do not overcook.
3.Fried – Coat the eggplant pieces generously with flour (if desired, dip slices in egg wash and flour a second time); heat oil in a skillet and fry eggplant, turning once, until golden brown; do not overcook; drain well on paper towels.

Moussaka Assembly:
•Brush bottom and sides of deep 13" x 9" baking dish with olive oil.
•Place ½ of eggplant slices onto bottom of pan; cut slices to fit so that the entire surface is completely covered with eggplant.
•Spoon meat mixture over eggplant.
•Top with remaining eggplant slices; cut slices to fit so that the entire surface is completely covered with eggplant.
•Pour cream sauce over all; spread evenly to completely cover all the eggplant.
•Bake at 350° for 60 minutes (the top should be set, slightly puffy, and nicely browned).
•Let rest for 15 minutes before cutting into serving pieces.

Variations:

Potato:
Potatoes may be substituted for part or for all of the eggplant. Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1/3-½ inch thick slices and fry before assembling the casserole. Place potato layer on bottom of casserole.
Summer Squash:
Summer squash (zucchini, crookneck, pattypan, etc.) may be substituted for part or for all of the eggplant. Cut squash lengthwise into 1/3-½ inch thick slices and either fry, broil or bake before assembling the casserole. Do not overcook squash, and do not use overgrown squash with large seeds.

Russian Eggplant Caviar

Olive Oil to saute:
2 onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 lg can Italian tomatoes, drained & chopped
2 lg eggplants, roasted & chopped
S&P to taste
Bread of choice (I prefer whole grain or dark bread)

In a large pot or skillet, saute the onions and peppers until tender.
Add the tomatoes and cook on low heat, stirring, 5 minutes.
Add the eggplant, salt & pepper.
Pulse mixture in batches until well desired consistency (I like it fairly lumpy).

As you can see, this is very low calorie. It is even better the next day.

Roast an eggplant over an open flame (pierce with a fork several times, not too many holes) until it is soft throughout, turning frequently.

Scoop out the flesh when it is cool enough to handle and let it drain in a colander.

Toss the flesh in a food processor with tahini (maybe 25% tahini to eggplant?) with lemon juice, garlic, a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. I once added a bit of smoked paprika. Regardless, HEAVEN.

Italian Towers

1 medium eggplant
Salt
1 large fresh tomato, sliced
1 large mild onion, sliced thin
½ cup butter
½ tsp basil
4 slices mozzarella, 2-1/2" square
½ cup Italian bread crumbs
2 T parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 450. Peel eggplant and slice ½" to ¾" thick. Soak in cold salted water for 15 minutes. Drain on paper towel and pat dry. In a flat greased 2 qt dish, place 4 slices of eggplant, lightly salted on both sides. Cover each slice with a salted slice of both tomato and onion. Melt ¼ cup butter and pour evenly over the 4 towers. Sprinkle with basil and bake, covered in a preheated oven at 450 for 20 minutes. Place a slice of mozzarella over each tower. Combine bread crumbs and remaining ¼ cup butter and sprinkle on top of mozzarella. Finally, top with the parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered for about 8 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serves 4. Source: The Magnolia Collection Cookbook

Note: That is the basic recipe. Over the years I’ve changed it a bit. One thing I do is line a large baking sheet with foil and place the eggplant slices on it, topping them with tomato slices, then some sautéed mushroom slices, some onion rings, then sprinkle with dried marjoram and basil and garlic powder. I cover it with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the cover and top with bread crumbs that I’ve mixed with melted butter and top with mozzarella and then the parmesan, and bake 8 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. If I have fresh basil I slice it and throw it over the tomatoes before topping with the cheeses . You can get very creative with this simple dish and add whatever you like.

Eggplant

6 large slices eggplant, cut 1/2 inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons pesto sauce
6 slices ripe tomato
6 slices mozzarella cheese
garnish- chopped black olives and basil sprigs

Brush both sides of each eggplant slice with oil. Place the slices on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the eggplant is tender.

Remove from the oven and top each slice with pesto followed by the tomato and cheese. Broil 1-2 minutes or till the cheese melts and is bubbly. Garnish with the olives and top with the basil. 6 servings

Ssource: ?? found somewhere on the internet

Olive Garden Eggplant Parmigiana
Source: Kitchen Link (Copycat Collection) at kitchenlink.com
1 eggplant, peeled, and cut into 1/4" thick slices
Flour, for dusting
Oil, for frying
Seasoned salt, to taste
1 (16 ounce) jar Prego meat-flavored sauce
1/4 cup grape jelly
1 (14 ounce) can sliced-style stewed tomatoes
4 slices mozzarella cheese
Moisten eggplant slices and coat lightly in flour. Quickly brown slices in hot oil, dusting each side generously with seasoned salt. When fork tender and golden brown transfer to jelly roll pan. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for about 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Use 8 slices for this amount of sauce.
For the Sauce: Combine sauce, jelly and tomatoes that have been broken up with a fork. Heat on medium until piping hot. Do not boil. Be sure jelly is melted.
Arrange 2 eggplant slices on each of 4 plates. Cover each with 1 slice of mozzarella. Ladle sauce over all, not to cover completely. Place plates in 375 degrees F oven just to melt cheese, and serve promptly.
Yields 4 servings.

this was one of those mishap recipes that i did
they are healthy and really delicious
Linda in Tennessee

EGGPLANT & SHRIMP CASSEROLE

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 large eggplant

1 stick margarine

1 onion, chopped

½ bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound small fresh or frozen shrimp, peeled

1 egg

Bread crumbs

Salt and pepper

Butter for the top

Peel and boil eggplant, then drain, mash and return to the pot.

In a frying pan, melt margarine. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Add shrimp and saute 3 minutes or so. Add this mixture to the eggplant, and mix well.

Add 1 tablespoon water to the egg and beat well. Stir into mixture, along with salt and pepper to taste. Scatter bread crumbs over the top and mix in just enough to keep the mixture moist, not thick and dry.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and fill with the mixture. Cover with additional bread crumbs. Dot with butter and salt lightly. Bake 30 minutes.

Enjoy!