One Bowl Smoked And Breaded Eggplant Food

BREADED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Cut off the top of the eggplant and slice crosswise. Sprinkle with salt and arrange the slices on a plate at an angle. Put a weight on top of it to sweat the eggplant, allowing the juices to drain for 1 to 2 hours. Dry the eggplant slices with a paper towel.
• Mix the eggs, milk and pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir the crushed garlic into the olive oil in a cup. Lightly coat a baking sheet with the garlic-olive oil mixture.
• Dip each slice of eggplant on both sides in the egg batter and then into the bread crumbs. Tap in the bread crumbs with your palm to get a good adherence to the surface. Shake off the excess crumbs and place breaded slices of eggplant on the baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes on each side at 375 degrees until the eggplant is tender
• Put the ricotta in a bowl and stir in the eggs; add the remaining ingredients and mix together.

EGGPLANT BREAD

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for high heat. Pierce the eggplant a few times with a fork or knife. Place on the grill, cover, and cook the eggplant, turning every 8 to 10 minutes, until completely charred on all sides and the flesh is soft when pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly for 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray an 8 1/2-inch-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Remove the eggplant to a cutting board and squeeze gently to crack the skin so the flesh is exposed. Use a spoon to remove the flesh into a colander set over a bowl (you should have about 1 1/3 cups of flesh). Let it sit for 10 minutes to remove some of the moisture. Transfer the flesh to a large bowl. Add the vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs to the bowl and whisk until well combined.
• Whisk the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the eggplant mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until everything is combined. Fold in 1 cup of the pistachios. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs sticking to it, 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes.
• Let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Flip the pan over to remove the bread and let cool completely on a wire rack, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Whisk the confectioners' sugar, butter, honey and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl until smooth and thick. Spread the frosting on top of the bread, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup pistachios and the flakey sea salt.

SMOKY TOMATO AND EGGPLANT SPREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Partially peel the outside of the eggplant, leaving 1 1/2- to 2-inch strips of skin intact, creating alternating stripes of flesh and skin. Cut the eggplant into 2-inch cubes and add it to a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the eggplant with 6 tablespoons of the olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Transfer the eggplant to the oven and roast for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through. After 40 minutes the eggplant should be very tender and browned.
• In the meantime, heat a high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallot has softened, about 5 minutes. Next, add the red pepper and garlic and stir to combine. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, cayenne and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir to coat the vegetables in the spices. Add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Add the cooked eggplant to the tomato mixture and stir to combine, slightly mashing the eggplant into the sauce. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and serve with grilled sourdough.

EGGPLANT AND SMOKED-GOUDA OPEN-FACED GRILLED SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Prepare grill for cooking over direct heat with medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas); see Grilling Procedureepi:recipelink.
• While grill is heating, stir together tomatoes, parsley, 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar, pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
• With a cheese plane or vegetable peeler, shave half of cheese into thin slices (if using mozzarella, thinly slice half of it with a knife) and cover slices with plastic wrap, reserving remaining piece for another use.
• Brush bread on both sides with 1 tablespoon oil per slice.
• Trim off top and bottom of each eggplant, then cut 2 (1-inch-thick) slices lengthwise from center of each eggplant, discarding remainder. Brush cut sides with 3 tablespoons oil (total) and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Lightly oil grill rack, then grill eggplant slices (covered only if using a gas grill), loosening with a metal spatula and turning occasionally to avoid overbrowning, until very tender, 8 to 10 minutes. While eggplant is grilling, grill bread, turning over once, until grill marks form, 1 to 2 minutes total, and transfer to a large platter.
• Transfer eggplant to platter, then top evenly with sliced cheese and return to grill and cook, covered for charcoal or gas, without turning, until cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute. Transfer eggplant with spatula to platter.
• Transfer grilled bread to 4 plates and spoon tomato mixture on top. Drizzle evenly with remaining tablespoon oil and top with eggplant. Season with pepper to taste.

BREADED EGGPLANT (OVEN-BAKED)

Steps:

• Start by draining the eggplant: layer sliced eggplant with gentle sprinkle of salt in a colander and place a plate or lid on top). The eggplant will leak out about 2 tbs. of moisture (about a half hour-sometimes I just do set it about 15 minutes and that seems to work, too).
• I lightly wipe excess salt off with damp paper towel.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare cookie sheet/jelly roll pan with half the oil and heat in oven while dipping/breading the eggplant.
• Mix together flour and pepper and put in large Zip-lock bag.
• Mix Parmesan and bread crumbs and put in pie plate.
• Dipping process:.
• Place about 10 slices at a time in flour and shake to coat lightly.
• Dip eggplant in beaten egg (I use a cereal bowl to dip).
• Dredge in bread crumb mixture.
• Line, without overlapping, eggplant onto cookie sheet.
• Bake for about 10-15 minutes until bottoms are lightly browned, and flip and finish cooking the other side.
• Repeat with remaining eggplant.
• Remove and cool on a wire rack.