Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant Recipe With Parmesan And Coriander 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.

ROASTED EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and arrange three racks evenly spaced.
• Lay the eggplant in one layer on three sheet pans and brush both sides with olive oil, using all the oil. Sprinkle with the oregano, crushing it lightly in your hands, then sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the slices and rotate the pans in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, until tender. Leave the oven at 400 degrees F.
• In a 10 by 14 by 2-inch ceramic baking dish, spread a third of the marinara sauce. Arrange a third of the eggplant on top in one layer. Scatter a third of the basil, a third of the mozzarella, a third of the goat cheese, and a third of the Parmesan on top. Repeat twice, starting with the marinara and ending with the Parmesan, making sure each layer is evenly distributed.
• For the topping, place the bread crumbs, garlic, and basil in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse to moisten the crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dish.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

ROASTED EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a layer of paper towel or a clean kitchen towel. Trim off the top and bottom of the eggplant and slice into 2-centimeter (1-inch) thick disks. Place the slices in a single layer onto the paper towel lined baking sheet and evenly sprinkle both sides with the kosher salt.
• Allow the salted eggplant to sit for about 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Meanwhile, for the sauce, combine the tomatoes and their juices with the butter, halved onion and Parmesan rind, if using, in a medium saucepan. Pick the basil leaves from the stems, add the stems to the tomatoes and set the leaves aside. Place a lid on the pan so that it is a little off kilter to allow steam out and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes, or even longer for a more intense tomato flavor.
• Pat the eggplant dry with some paper towel or a clean kitchen towel and remove from the baking sheet. Coat the bottom of the baking sheet with the olive oil and arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer. Flip the eggplant slices over to coat both sides in oil. Season with pepper and a bit more salt (don't worry, lots of the salt that you previously put on has been wiped away so the eggplant won't taste super salty). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown on both sides.
• Remove the eggplant from the oven and top each with a spoon of the tomato sauce and sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Return the eggplant to the oven and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
• To serve, spoon some sauce onto your plates and divide and stack the roasted eggplant parm on top. Tear up the fresh mozzarella and basil leaves, scatter on top and season with salt and pepper.

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.