Balsamic Portobello And Eggplant Stacks Food

EGGPLANT PARMESAN WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE

Steps:

• For the balsamic glaze: Put the vinegar in a small nonreactive saucepan over high heat and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the honey and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature.
• For the roasted red pepper tomato sauce: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and red chile flakes and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the tomatoes and their juices, salt and pepper, bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften, 20 minutes. Coarsely mash the tomatoes with a potato masher. Add the pureed piquillo peppers and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally. Add the oregano and half of the basil and cook until the sauce is thickened, about 25 minutes more. Taste for seasoning and stir in the parsley. Reserve the remaining basil for serving.
• For the eggplant: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 15-by-10-by-2-inch flameproof baking dish and set aside. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or deep fryer to 365 degrees F.
• Combine the fontina and shredded mozzarella in a bowl and set aside. Combine the breadcrumbs and panko in a large shallow baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a medium shallow baking dish or large plate and season with salt and pepper. Whisk the egg and 2 tablespoons of water together in another medium shallow baking dish and season with salt and pepper.
• Season each eggplant slice on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, tapping off the excess, then dip it in the egg and dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices. Fry the eggplant slices in batches until tender and golden brown on each side and tender, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and season with salt.
• Lay 8 slices of the fried eggplant in the prepared baking dish, top each slice with about 1/4 cup of the roasted red pepper tomato sauce, 1/4 cup of the combined cheeses and a tablespoon of the remaining chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper. Take 4 of the topped eggplant slices and place them on the other 4 so you have a total of 4 eggplant stacks. Top each stack with one more eggplant slice, 1/4 cup of the sauce, some of the basil and a few thin slices of the fresh mozzarella. Bake until the cheese melts, 8 to 10 minutes. Place under the broiler and broil until the fresh mozzarella is golden brown, about 30 seconds. Top with the remaining chopped fresh basil and drizzle with the balsamic glaze.

PORTABELLA STACKS

Steps:

• Scrape out the dark gills on the underside of each mushroom.
• Rinse lightly under water and wipe with paper towel.
• Thinly slice the eggplant and sprinkle with garlic salt.
• Put the mushrooms in an oiled baking dish.
• Drizzle with a few sprinkles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
• Top with a couple eggplant slices.
• Add a basil leaf.
• Add mozzarella slice.
• Add a slice of red onion.
• Add a basil leaf.
• Add a slice of tomato.
• Add a basil leaf.
• Repeat layers and top with Asiago cheese.
• At this point I cut a wooden skewer in half and poke it down the center of each mushroom stack to hold them in place.
• Drizzle a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar (not a lot or it will sweat too much).
• Bake in 400° for 20 minutes.

BALSAMIC EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) STACKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200C (400F).
• Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and place on a tray lined with baking paper.
• Bake for 30 minutes, turning the slices over halfway through.
• Remove eggplant from the oven, drizzle with balsamic and sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano.
• Top eggplant with tomato slices, drizzle with balsamic and sprinkle with salt pepper and basil.
• Place cheese on top of tomato and return to the over for 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Serve immediately.

GRILLED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS WITH BALSAMIC

Steps:

• Preheat the grill. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, toss the garlic cloves with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and some salt. Wrap the garlic cloves in tinfoil and place on the tray in the center of the oven. Cook until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 20 to 25 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the balsamic with 3/4 cup of the olive oil and the mustard.
• In a medium bowl, toss the mushrooms in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt. Place them, stem-side up, on the hottest part of the grill. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, you may see liquid starting to emerge from the stem area. Flip to the other side and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer them to a tray and place in the center of the oven. Cook until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, an additional 12 to 15 minutes. Season them lightly with salt.
• Remove the garlic from the oven. Squeeze the garlic pulp out from their skins and whisk it vigorously into the dressing. Arrange the mushrooms on a serving platter and top with the dressing. Serve immediately.

STEVE'S EGGPLANT STACK

Steps:

• Salt the eggplant on each side and let it drain in a colander for about 30 minutes to get the bitterness out. Place something heavy, like a frying pan, on top to get the moisture out.
• In a medium bowl, place the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. In a second medium bowl, add the eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, half of the parsley and some salt and pepper, and whisk together. In a third medium bowl, add the breadcrumbs and the remaining parsley and toss together. Coat the eggplant slices in the flour, then in the egg mixture and then in the breadcrumbs.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and fry the eggplant slices until they're crisp and golden brown. Don't crowd the pan. Let them drain on a paper towel to get excess oil off.
• Top 1 slice of eggplant with 1 slice of tomato, and then season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add 3 basil leaves, top with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a slice of mozzarella. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients.
• In a large bowl, toss the arugula with some salt, pepper and extra-virgin olive oil. Add to the top of the stacks and add more Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Season with salt and pepper.

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO STACKS

Steps:

• In a large bowl toss the eggplant slices with 1/4 cup kosher salt. Using your fingertips, evenly distribute the salt on both sides of each slice. Place the eggplant in a colander set over a large bowl or sheet pan to catch juices. Set aside for 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line two 18 by 13-inch baking sheets with heavy-duty foil.
• Rinse the eggplant under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on one baking sheet. Brush olive oil on 1 side. Brush with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.
• Drizzle the other pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with the minced garlic.
• Roast the tomatoe slices until they are very soft and just beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes, without turning. Bake the eggplant slices until they are tender and well browned, 20 to 30 minutes, without turning. Let the tomato and eggplant slices cool until you can handle them with your fingers.
• Make a short stack starting with eggplant on the bottom, 1 slice mozzarella, and then tomato. Top with another piece of eggplant. Warm stacks in the oven until mozzarella lightly melts. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

PORTOBELLO STACKS

Steps:

• Marinate the mushrooms and onions in balsamic vinegar for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• On a non-stick baking pan layer in four stacks: eggplant, mushroom, onion, tomato and cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown.

PORTOBELLO POLENTA STACKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir until tender, 1-2 minutes (do not allow to brown). Stir in vinegar; remove from heat., Place mushrooms in a 13x9-in. baking dish, gill side up. Brush with vinegar mixture; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with polenta and tomato slices; sprinkle with cheese., Bake, uncovered, until mushrooms are tender, 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with basil.

MOZZARELLA-STUFFED GRILLED PORTOBELLOS WITH BALSAMIC MARINADE

Steps:

• Whisk oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and 1 garlic clove in small bowl for marinade. Using spoon, scrape out gills from mushrooms and place mushrooms on rimmed baking sheet. Brush marinade over both sides of mushrooms, arrange hollow side up, and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Mix panko, next 5 ingredients, and remaining 2 garlic cloves in medium bowl. Drizzle butter and remaining teaspoon vinegar over panko mixture and toss. Divide panko mixture among mushrooms, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges and packing down slightly. Place mushrooms on grill, stuffing side up; cover grill and cook until cheese melts and juices bubble at edges of mushrooms, rearranging mushrooms occasionally for even cooking (do not turn over), about 6 minutes.
• *Panko can be used in any recipe calling for dry (not fresh) breadcrumbs - such as eggplant parmigiana, chicken tenders, or meatloaf. It is available in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian markets.

GRILLED EGGPLANT, BALSAMIC GLAZED PORTABELLA MUSHROOM SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Whisk mayonnaise, mustard, 2 tsp rosemary and garlic in small bowl to blend, set aside.
• Soak eggplant slices in lightly salted water for about 15 minutes Rinse and pat dry. Brush both sides with olive oil and lightly salt and pepper.
• Spray grill rack and prepare at medium heat. Brush mushrooms with olive oil. Sprinkle stem side with minced fresh rosemary, thyme and parsley evenly divided between the mushroom caps, top with pat of butter salt and pepper and 2 tsp balsamic vinegar per mushroom. Grill mushrooms until tender (about 10 - 12 mins, do not turn!) Lay slices of eggplant on grill and cook about 8 - 10 mins until tender, turning a couple of times.
• Spread Mayo mixture on toasted buns. Place lettuce, eggplant and mushroom on bun bottoms, cover with tops, serve immediately and enjoy!