Charred Eggplant And Beef Burgers Food

CHARRED-EGGPLANT AND BEEF BURGERS

Steps:

• Heat grill to high. Char eggplant, turning often, until cooked through and soft, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Cut eggplant in half, and scrape flesh into a fine sieve set over a bowl; discard skin. Let stand for 2 hours to drain. Coarsely chop eggplant.
• Stir 1/2 cup eggplant into beef; reserve remainder for another use. Divide mixture into 4 equal pieces. Shape each into a 3 1/2-inch patty (about 3/4 inch thick).
• Reheat grill to high. Grill buns, cut sides down. Brush both sides of burgers with oil, and season with salt. Grill until charred, about 4 minutes per side for medium (3 minutes per side if using a grill pan).
• Meanwhile, mix together ketchup, pickles, yogurt, and mustard. Spread some sauce onto each bun half. Top bottom buns with lettuce, tomato, then burgers. Shave cheese onto burgers using a Microplane zester. Sandwich with remaining bun halves.

LAYERED EGGPLANT HAMBURGER CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the ground beef, onion and garlic for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain excess fat. Stir in the tomato paste, water, tomatoes, parsley, thyme, oregano and basil. Set aside.
• Slice eggplant into 1/4-inch rounds. Place a layer of eggplant into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x12-inch glass baking dish. Then place a layer of the ground beef mixture over the eggplant, followed by a layer of sliced onion. Top this with 1/2 the breadcrumbs and cheese. Then repeat the layers: eggplant, ground beef mixture, sliced onion and remaining breadcrumbs and cheese.
• Cover and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour, remove foil and bake for 20 more minutes.

EGGPLANT BURGERS

Steps:

• Place the eggplant slices on a plate, and cook in the microwave for about 5 minutes, or until the centers are cooked.
• Melt margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry eggplant slices until lightly toasted on each side, and place one slice of cheese onto each one. Cook until cheese has melted, and remove from the skillet.
• Place eggplant on hamburger buns, and allow each person to top with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles, and dress with ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard.

GRILLED EGGPLANT BURGERS

Steps:

• Whisk all seasoning oil ingredients in a small bowl.
• Brush eggplant slices with seasoning oil and place over medium-high heat on grill. Close lid and cook until tender, turning and brushing with remaining seasoning oil, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from grill. (You may also cook eggplant under the broiler, or saute them in a pan until tender, about 4 or 5 minutes per side.).
• Place a slice of cheese on 1 eggplant slice, then top with another eggplant slice. Top this with 2 tomato slices or a piece of roasted red pepper, then put 2 to 4 basil leaves on top of that. Top with third eggplant slice, then another slice of cheese. Top with a fourth eggplant slice. Finish with a grind of pepper.
• Repeat process to make 4 stacks. Place stacks on grill, close lid, and cook for about 2 minutes, turning once.
• Serve immediately, or make into sandwiches on crusty rolls or bread. These sandwiches may be served warm or wrapped tightly and chilled several hours or overnight.
• (I had mine open faced on ciabatta bread).

BAKED EGGPLANT BURGERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Roast the eggplant by cutting it into 1/4″ slices and brushing each side with olive oil.
• Bake for 10 minutes on one side, then flip the slices and bake for another 5 minutes.
• Place the diced red onion and 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the onion softens.
• Remove eggplant from the oven, turn the oven down to 400 degrees.
• Stir together the eggplant, onion, beans, bell pepper, parsley, pine nuts, garlic, sea salt, hummus and cumin in a large bowl.
• Blend the mixture in a food processor - about 15 seconds.
• Pour the mixture back into a bowl, stir in the breadcrumbs, and use your hands to make four large patties.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Place the patties on the foil.
• Bake for 45 minutes, turning them over halfway through.
• Remove the burgers from the oven, top with hummus or tahini sauce, and enjoy!

VEGETABLE BURGERS WITH EGGPLANT AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle eggplant with salt and pepper. Add eggplant to skillet; sauté until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add patties to same skillet. Sauté until patties and eggplant are cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
• Blend mayonnaise and tarragon in small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Spread mayonnaise mixture on bottom half of each bread piece. Top with patty, eggplant, tomato, greens and bread.

CHARRED BEEF BURGERS WITH BABA GHANOUSH

Steps:

• Char the eggplant over an open flame, rotating it often to cook evenly, about 20 minutes. The skin should be completely blackened and the flesh should be cooked through. Place the eggplant in a bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap (to steam off the skin), and set it aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Then remove the charred skin with a paper towel, leaving the flesh behind. Chop the eggplant with a knife until it is a thick and chunky puree. Mix the eggplant and the yogurt together in a bowl, and season it with salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat.
• Split the buns in half, and spray the split surfaces lightly with cooking spray. Season the burger patties with salt and pepper to taste. Place the buns, cut sides down, and the burgers on the grill. Allow the buns to char slightly, and then transfer them to a platter. Cook the burgers for about 2 1/2 minutes per side for rare.
• To assemble the burgers, spread the bottom buns with some of the eggplant mixture. Place the burgers on top, and then top each burger with some of the Russian dressing. Pile the tomato, onion, and lettuce on the burgers, and set the bun tops in place. Serve.
• Fat: 29g (before), 7.4g (after)
• Calories: 540 (before), 341 (after)
• Protein: 30g
• Carbohydrates: 38g
• Cholesterol: 56mg
• Fiber: 7g
• Sodium: 773mg