Eggplant Torta Food

EGGPLANT OMELET (TORTANG TALONG)

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• Lay the eggplants in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil them, flipping once or twice, until they are soft and blackened on all sides, about 15 minutes. (If you have a gas stove, you can do this by holding the eggplants with tongs over a burner on medium-high heat, turning them so they blacken on all sides.)
• Place the softened eggplants in a ziplock bag. Set aside for 10 minutes to steam (this makes the skin easier to peel). Peel the eggplants, discarding the skins, and use a fork to gently flatten the flesh.
• Put the eggs in a shallow bowl. Beat well and season with salt and pepper.
• In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Dip each eggplant in the beaten eggs, letting it soak for a second or two so that it is well covered with the egg. Season the egg-dipped eggplant with additional salt and pepper and place it in the skillet. Repeat with the other eggplant, making sure there's room between them in the skillet. Place 1 tablespoon of the crab (if using) on top of each eggplant, pressing it down with a fork.
• When the eggplants are crispy and browned on one side, 4 to 5 minutes, flip them over and cook until browned and crispy on the second side, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the eggplants to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Serve hot or at room temperature, with fish sauce.

INA GARTEN'S ROASTED VEGETABLE TORTE (BAREFOOT CONTESSA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Cook the zucchini, onions, garlic, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat for 10 minutes until the zucchini is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
• Brush the red and yellow peppers and eggplant with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet for 30 to 40 minutes, until soft but not browned.
• In a 6-inch round cake pan, place each vegetable in a single, overlapping layer, sprinkling Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste between each of the layers of vegetables.
• Begin with half of the eggplant, then layer half of the zucchini and onions, then all of the red peppers, then all of the yellow peppers, then the rest of the zucchini and onions, and finally the rest of the eggplant.
• Cover the top of the vegetables with a 6-inch round of parchment paper or waxed paper. Place a 6-inch flat disk (another cake pan or the bottom of a false-bottom tart pan) on top and weight it with a heavy jar. Place on a plate or baking sheet (it will leak) and chill completely.
• Drain the liquids, place on a platter, and serve at room temperature.

EGGPLANT TORTE

Steps:

• Prepare the pie dough. While it is rising, prepare the filling for the torte. Salt the eggplant slices on both sides, and let stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and make the tomato sauce.
• Rinse the eggplant slices, and blot dry with paper towels. Line baking sheets with foil, and oil the foil with olive oil. Place the eggplant rounds on the baking sheet, and brush the tops with olive oil. Bake in the oven until tender and beginning to color, 15 to 20 minutes. They will dry out on the surface but feel soft when you press on them. Remove from the oven, and fold the foil over the eggplant slices, enclosing them so they'll continue to steam and soften. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees.
• Generously oil a 10-inch spring-form pan or cake pan. Roll out two-thirds of the dough to a large, thin round, and line the pan, making sure that there is some overhang all the way around the edge. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and use a bit to brush the bottom and sides of the crust. Remove 1 tablespoon for brushing the top crust, and set aside. Stir the tomato sauce into the bowl of beaten eggs, and combine well.
• Line the pastry with half the eggplant slices, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle half the Gruyère over the eggplant, and top with half the egg and tomato sauce mixture. Sprinkle with half the Parmesan. Repeat the layers.
• Roll out the remaining dough, and place it over the top of the torte. Fold in the overhanging bottom crust and pinch the edges together, then pinch an attractive lip around the rim of the pan. Brush the top crust with the beaten egg you set aside, and make a few slits in it with the tip of a knife. Bake 50 minutes to one hour, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes before cutting. Serve hot or room temperature, cut in wedges.

EGGPLANT TORTA

Steps:

• Combine olive oil, onions and garlic in a nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat until onions are tender, about 3 minutes. Add the ground lamb. Stir for 1 minute. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, paprika and cumin. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer lamb to a bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Cut the eggplants into 1/4-inch-thick slices crosswise. Place in a colander. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the salt. Set aside to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Slowly grill over hot coals until very soft, about 5 minutes per side. Set aside.
• Grill the tomatoes until charred. Set aside to cool. Peel, core and seed. Combine the tomatoes, grated lemon rind, sugar, remaining salt, pepper and vinegar in a nonstick skillet. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Set aside.
• Brush a round, 1-quart, 8-inch- diameter baking dish with the olive oil. Put the narrow end of one eggplant strip in the center of the dish. Fold it into the shape of the dish and let it hang over the side. Repeat with the other strips, overlapping by 1/4 inch, until the dish is completely lined. Spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce over the eggplant. Spread a layer of lamb over the sauce. Top with 1/2 cup of the feta cheese. Lay 4 eggplant strips over the cheese. Repeat with the sauce, more lamb and feta. Lay 3 strips of eggplant over the feta. Fold the overlapping eggplant over the top. Cover with foil and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Serve with fresh tomato chutney.

FILIPINO EGGPLANT OMELET (TORTANG TALONG)

Steps:

• On a grill or open flame, scorch eggplant skins until blackened. (Using stem as handle, try to turn eggplants on every side to char as much of the skin as possible.) Place them whole in a heatproof dish and cover with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap. Let eggplants steam in the residual heat until they turn limp. Once they have had a chance to cool, gently peel away skins and discard. Set peeled eggplants aside.
• In large pan, heat about 1 tablespoon oil till hot. Add onion & garlic and saute until light brown. Mix in ground pork and saute until cooked. Add diced tomato and cook until softened. Add fish sauce and cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until moisture has evaporated. Remove mixture from heat and set aside to cool.
• In flat baking dish or pie pan, whisk eggs until frothy. Add both eggplants, laying them side by side with stem ends sticking up and out of the bowl together. Using a fork, gently mash eggplant meat until flattened. Add pork mixture and make sure it and eggplant are well-coated with beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• In large nonstick skillet on medium high, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Carefully slide eggplant and egg mixture into pan, with stem ends sticking up together. Lower flame to medium heat. Once egg mixture looks opaque around edges, cover pan with a large plate (should be at least 1 inch bigger than pan circumference) and quickly turn pan upside down so the eggplant mixture lands on the plate (the cooked side should be on top). Return pan to stove, add a little bit more oil on medium heat. Carefully slide the eggplants uncooked side down, into the pan. Lower heat to medium and cook until eggs are cooked through.
• Serve hot with rice.