Grilled Eggplant With Fresh Tomato Salsa Food

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH MOZZARELLA, TOMATOES, AND BASIL

Steps:

• Prepare a barbecue (or preheat a broiler). Cut the eggplants into slices about 1/2-inch thick. Spread on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil on both sides. Set aside.
• Cut mozzarella in half crosswise, then slice each half about 1/4-inch thick to create half-moon shaped pieces. Slice tomatoes in the same manner. Arrange tomatoes and mozzarella decoratively around the edge of a large serving platter.
• Place eggplant slices on barbecue (or place on baking sheet in broiler) and cook, turning once, until nicely charred on each side; the eggplant should almost caramelize. Arrange the cooked eggplant down the center of the serving platter, surrounded by the tomatoes and mozzarella. Pluck about 12 large leaves from the basil bunch, stack them, roll them up like a cigar, then slice crosswise into thin shreds (?chiffonade?). Scatter the basil shreds over the vegetables and cheese, then drizzle balsamic vinegar and more olive oil over all. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste, and let stand until eggplant is at room temperature.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH TOMATOES, BASIL, AND FETA

Steps:

• Generously season eggplant slices with salt. Place vertically in a colander, overlapping them. Let stand 30 minutes; rinse and pat dry.
• Preheat grill to medium-high. Liberally brush cut sides of eggplant with oil. Grill, turning once, until tender, about 4 minutes a side. Mix tomatoes, pine nuts, feta, red-pepper flakes, and oil; season with salt. Spoon over eggplant; top with basil.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH RICOTTA AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Heat the grill to high.
• Brush the eggplant slices with some of the oil.
• Grill the eggplant slices on both sides until brown, then place them in the bottom of a lightly greased, small shallow baking pan that will fit under the grill, and set aside.
• Over a medium heat, add the rest of the oil to a small sauté pan (preferably non-stick), add the cherry tomatoes and garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften.
• While still stirring, add the capers and leave the pan over the heat for an additional minute.
• Remove the pan from the heat.
• Cover the eggplant slices with the tomato, garlic and capers, season to taste and spoon the ricotta over the tomatoes. (The amount of ricotta included in the ingredients may not completely cover the tomatoes; if you want to cover the tomatoes, use more ricotta.).
• Place the baking pan under the grill until the ricotta starts to bubble.
• Scatter the basil leaves over the top and serve.

GRILLED EGGPLANT DRIPPING WITH A TOMATO AND RICOTTA SALSA

Steps:

• Slice your tomatoes in half, place in a bowl & drizzle with enough extra virgin olive oil over tomatoes to coat well. Season with s/p. Place your tomatoes on a grilling sheet/pan and grill for 8-10 minutes until tender & juicy. Turning a few times during cooking.
• While tomatoes are cooking prepare your eggplant by removing skin & slicing it horizontally to about 1/2; thickness. Brush both sides of the eggplant with extra virgin olive oil. Season with s/p. Grill eggplant slices for 3-4 minutes on each side until eggplant is tender & has nice grill marks.
• Once tomatoes have cooled slightly, roughly chop tomatoes & return to bowl. Add a drizzle of olive oil & chopped onion. Add 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Season again with s/p to taste, mix well & garnish with basil. In a small bowl, add your room temperature ricotta cheese, add in your red pepper flakes and season with s/p to taste.
• Now to assemble. Place your grilled eggplant on a plate, add a nice dollop of the ricotta cheese mixture & top with grilled tomato salsa. Garnish with a tad more roughly chopped basil!

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH FRESH TOMATO SALSA

Steps:

• 1 Trim the tops and bottoms of the eggplants. Cut the eggplant crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices in a colander, sprinkling each layer with salt. Place the eggplant over a plate to drain for at least 30 minutes. Rinse off the salt with cool water and dry the slices with paper towels. 2 Place a barbecue grill or broiler rack about 5 inches away from the heat source. Preheat the grill or broiler Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil on one side and place them with the oiled side toward the source of the heat. Cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the slices and brush them with oil. Cook until browned and tender, about 4 minutes. 3 Arrange the slices on a platter, overlapping slightly. 4 Cut the tomato in half and squeeze out the seeds and juice. Chop the tomato. In a medium bowl, toss the tomato with the parsley, chile, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Spoon the tomato mixture over the eggplant. Serve at room temperature. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.