Neapolitan Style Eggplant Sticks With Tomatoes Food

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO NAPOLEONS WITH BLACK OLIVE DRESSING

Steps:

• For the black olive dressing, combine all ingredients and allow to sit for at least 2 hours, covered and refrigerated, for flavors to develop. For the poached garlic in the basil puree, place unpeeled garlic cloves in a small saucepan and cover by 1-inch of cold water. Bring to a boil, drain and repeat process 2 more times. Remove husk from garlic, chop. For the basil puree, blanch the basil in lightly salted boiling water for about 5 seconds. Remove and immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. Drain well, squeeze dry and chop. Add to a blender along with poached garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and enough stock to make a smooth puree. Store in refrigerator.;
• To oven dry tomatoes for napoleons, cut tomatoes in half and remove stems. With your fingers gently squeeze and remove the seeds. Lightly oil a baking sheet, place tomatoes and season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Place in a preheated 225 degree oven for 3 to 4 hours or until tomatoes are somewhat shriveled and have the faintest bit of color on them. For the napoleons, slice the eggplants into 12 (1/2-inch) thick rounds and generously paint both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400 degree oven until cooked through and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Oil, season and roast remaining vegetables in the same manner and set aside. Be sure not to overcook, vegetables should still have some texture. To assemble the napoleons, on a lightly oiled baking sheet start with a round of eggplant and top with slices of zucchini, onions, peppers, mushrooms and oven dried tomatoes and cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with an eggplant slice for each napoleon. Place a rosemary spear in the center of each napoleon to hold it together. To serve, Place baking sheet with napoleons in a preheated 375 degree oven for a few minutes to warm through and barely melt cheese. Place on warm plates and spoon the black olive dressing around. Top with drops of the reduced Balsamic vinegar, fresh basil puree and garnish with herb sprigs. Serve immediately.;

NEAPOLITAN EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Arrange eggplant slices on prepared baking sheet. Top each slice with an equal amount of sauce and then top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until cheese is bubbly. Top with basil before serving.

NEAPOLITAN-STYLE EGGPLANT STICKS WITH TOMATOES

Steps:

• 1 Trim the tops and bottoms of the eggplants and cut them into 6 wedges lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 3 pieces. Pat the pieces dry with paper towels. 2 Line a tray with paper towels. Pour about 1/2 inch of the oil into a medium skillet. Heat over medium heat until a small piece of eggplant sizzles when added to the pan. Carefully add just as many eggplants as will fit comfortably in the pan in a single layer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned around the edges, about 5 minutes. Remove the eggplants with a slotted spoon or skimmer and drain on the paper towels. Repeat with the remaining eggplant. Sprinkle with salt. 3 In a large skillet, cook the garlic with the red pepper in the olive oil until the garlic is deep golden, about 4 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic. Add the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes or until thickened. 4 Stir in the eggplants and basil and cook 2 minutes more. Season with salt to taste. Serve hot or 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.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) NEAPOLITAN

Steps:

• Cut eggplant crosswise into 1/2 inch slices.
• Dip into bread crumbs to coat.
• Heat 1 T oil over medium-high heat.
• Fry eggplant until golden, about 10 minutes, adding more oil as needed.
• Top eggplant slices with cheese.
• Spoon sauce over eggplant.
• Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until cheese melts (about 5 minutes).
• Sprinkle with parsley.