Mediterranean Aubergine Eggplant Pot Pie Food

EASY GREEK-STYLE EGGPLANT RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place eggplant cubes in a colander over a large bowl or directly over your sink, and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 20 minutes or so to allow eggplant to "sweat out" any bitterness. Rinse with water and pat dry.
• In a large braiser, heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil over medium-high until shimmering but not smoking. Add onions, peppers, and chopped carrot. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly, then add garlic, bay leaf, spices, and a dash of salt. Cook another minute, stirring until fragrant.
• Now add eggplant, chopped tomato, chickpeas, and reserved chickpea liquid. Stir to combine.
• Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes or so. Stir often. Remove from stove top, cover and transfer to oven.
• Cook in oven for 45 minutes until eggplant is fully cooked through to very tender. (While eggplant is braising, be sure to check once or twice to see if more liquid is needed. If so, remove from oven briefly and stir in about 1/2 cup of water at a time.)
• When eggplant is ready, remove from oven and add a generous drizzle of Private Reserve EVOO, garnish with fresh herbs (parsley or mint). Serve hot or at room temperature with a side of Greek yogurt or even Tzatziki sauce and pita bread.

SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cook the potatoes (in their skins) in boiling water, until soft. Drain, and mash the first 5 ingredients. Set aside.
• In a large, heavy skillet, saute the onions and garlic in 1 1/2 Tbsp of butter, with salt and pepper, until the onions are soft (5-8 minutes). Add the celery, mushrooms, and eggplant. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally.
• When the eggplant is cooked through (and this will happen more quickly if you cover the skillet between stirrings), add green pepper, herbs, and peas. Continue cooking about 5 minutes longer.
• Remove from heat; toss with cheese, wheat germ, and vinegar. Spread this mixture into your buttered deep-dish casserole. Spread the mashed potatoes on top, as a crust.
• OPTIONAL (and OPTIMAL): Sprinkle extra cheese plus some paprika on top.
• Bake, uncovered, 35 minutes.

GREEK EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) PIE

Steps:

• Bake pie crust according to direction on pkg.
• To make the filling, heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the aubergine slices for 6-8 minutes on each side until golden. You may need to add a little more olive oil at first, but this will be released as the flesh softens. Lift out the aubergine slices and drain on a plate covered with a few layers of kitchen paper.
• Add the onion and garlic to the oil remaining in the pan and fry over a gentle heat for 4-5 minutes until soft, adding a little extra oil if necessary.
• Chop the spinach finely, by hand or in a food processor. Beat the egg in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the spinach, crumbled feta, Parmesan, yogurt, milk and the onion mixture to the eggs. Season well with salt and pepper and stir thoroughly.
• Spread the cooked rice in an even layer over the base of the pastry case. Reserve about 8 aubergine slices - save the best ones as these will be placed over the top - and arrange the rest in an even layer over the rice.
• Spoon the spinach and feta mixture over the aubergines and place the reserved slices of aubergine on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm or cold, with a mixed salad.

MEDITERRANEAN AUBERGINE (EGGPLANT) POT PIE

Steps:

• Toss eggplant slices with olive oil. Arrange in a pie crust style shape in round cake or casserole pan (heck, it could even be square) about eight inches across. Reserve a few of the thinnest slices.
• Toss olives, garlic, onion, half the hummus, and half the alcoholic beverage/water.
• Layer bell pepper strips and reserved eggplant slices over top.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (if you want it), and reserved hummus (diluted to pourable consistency with anything).
• Lay a sheet of loose aluminum foil across top and bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
• For Vegan omit the cheese.

MELITZANOPITA (GREEK PIE USING EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) )

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté eggplant and onion, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is soft and has become almost a puree, about 20 minutes.
• Add bacon or ham, tomato paste and salt and pepper (careful with the salt - it may not seem like a lot but the bacon and the cheese, that will be added later will add a lot more), and cook another 5 minutes. You may have a dark brown film on the bottom of your skillet (I do not use non-stick surfaces - only stainless steel). You will find that this scrapes up easily once you turn off the heat and the eggplant puree starts to cool. Do scrape it back into the puree with a spoon as this is highly-flavoured and helps the overall taste (if it doesn't scrape easily in the beginning, just wait a couple of minutes longer). Allow to cool.
• Note: The eggplant puree can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before continuing with recipe.
• In a large bowl, combine well eggplant puree, feta, eggs, parsley and mint. Taste a small amount of the filling to decide if you would like it a bit saltier.
• Preheat oven to 390°F.
• Butter bottom and sides of a 15 X 11 inch baking pan. Stagger sheets of phyllo in pan, brushing each sheet with olive oil as you position it in the pan.
• When you have used half the sheets of phyllo pastry, empty the filling into the pan and spread it out evenly.
• Continue staggering the remaining sheets of phyllo over top, brushing each one with olive oil as you position it in the pan. Tuck in any overhang you have and give a last generous brushing of olive oil to the whole pie.
• With a sharp knife, score the pie lengthwise into 4 strips, and then score into 4 strips crosswise (resulting in 16 pieces of pie). DO NOT CUT ALL THE WAY THROUGH PHYLLO - JUST THE TOP LAYERS.
• Generously sprinkle the pie with some tap water using your fingertips (run your hand under the tap and sprinkle the water over the pie - do about 5 of these sprinkles - this results in a crisper, crunchier crust).
• Brush pie with egg wash and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake for 1 hour, or until pie is a golden-brown. You may need to reverse pan back to front midway through baking.
• Allow to cool 15-20 minutes before cutting into. Personally, I like this pie just warm or at room temperature.
• Enjoy.

MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare onion, celery, green bell pepper, fresh tomato & black olives in stated quantity as directed & set aside.
• Slice unpeeled eggplant into 1/4" thick slices. Put olive oil in a saute pan & cook eggplant slices (in batches) till just slightly tender. Remove from pan & set aside.
• In the same pan, add onion, celery & bell pepper. Saute till crisp-tender.
• Remove from heat & stir in chopped tomato, black olives, herbs & spices.
• Place 1/3 of eggplant slices in a 9x13" baking dish. Top with 1/3 of veggie/spice mixture & repeat layering 2 more times. Bake 15 minutes.
• While casserole is baking, beat eggs & set aside. In a separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp olive oil & Parmesan cheese. Mix well & set aside.
• At 15 minutes, remove casserole from oven. Drizzle beaten eggs over surface, let them seep into the veggie mixture & move veggies around gently using a fork to aid this process as required.
• Sprinkle breadcrumb, olive oil & Parmesan cheese mixture evenly over surface & return to oven for 15 min or till breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serve immediately.
• NOTE: While the recipe did not suggest this, IMO this dish is capable of being expanded to a 1-dish meal w/the addition of your cooked grd meat of choice &/or crumbled feta cheese as another option.

MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Prepare a cookie sheet with fat free cooking spray and set aside.
• Mix bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese.
• Beat egg whites with 1/2 teaspoons.
• salt.
• Dip eggplant slices in egg whites, coat with seasoned bread crumbs.
• Place eggplant slices on prepared cookie sheet.
• You will have 2 different batches.
• Spray eggplant slices with cooking spray, set aside.
• In a nonstick skillet heat oil over medium heat, add onion and garlic.
• Cook until softened.
• Add oregano, 1 teaspoons.
• salt and pepper.
• Cook for one minute.
• Add tomatoes, increase heat to high and cook until thickened, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add basil.
• Broil eggplant slices, 1 batch at a time for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until brown.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Layer eggplant slices in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
• Top with tomato mixture and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and remaining parmesan cheese.
• Bake uncovered until cheese is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) - MEDITERRANEAN STYLE

Steps:

• Trim ends of eggplants and cut into ¼ inch slices.
• Sprinkle with salt and set aside for about 30 minutes.
• Rinse and dry eggplants and brush with oil.
• Grill or broil, turning once, until dark golden brown on both sides.
• Arrange eggplant on a serving dish and just before serving, sprinkle with vinegar, olives, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper.
• May be served warm or hot.

MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Brush eggplant slices evenly with olive oil.
• Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and tender.
• Remove from oven, and finely dice the eggplant slices.
• In a medium bowl, combine the chopped eggplant pieces with the garlic, egg whites, parmesan, feta, breadcrumbs, basil and parsley and green onions.
• Add the salt and pepper in quantities at your discretion.
• Mix everything well and place in the refrigerator 20min to firm up.
• (Note: add this stage you may adjust the mixture by adding more breadcrumbs if it does not hold well together).
• Divide the mixture into 6-8 equal portions, and shape into a flattened ball.
• Coat with flour.
• Fry the fritters in shallow oil for 2 mins on either side, till they are golden brown.
• Serve with a salad, lemon wedges and a yoghurt sauce to dip into, if preferred.