Roasted Eggplant With Tomato And Mint Food

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat broiler, with rack in top third of oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Use a fork to prick eggplants all over; prick tomatoes in a few places. Place both vegetables on prepared sheet and broil, turning occasionally, until charred all over and very soft, 15 to 20 minutes for tomatoes and slim eggplants, up to 40 minutes for larger eggplants. Remove as done and place in a sieve set over a bowl; let cool.
• When cool enough to handle, peel eggplants and tomatoes. Remove and chop pulp finely; place in a bowl. Add chiles, shallot, mint, cilantro, lime juice, and 2 teaspoons mustard oil; season with salt and pepper. Mix and taste for balance of seasonings, adjusting as necessary. Refrigerate until ready to serve, or up to 2 days.
• Put chokah in a serving bowl; drizzle remaining 1 teaspoon mustard oil over top. Serve cold or room temperature.

EGGPLANT WITH TOMATO-MINT SAUCE AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F. Spray 2 large baking sheets with oil spray. Arrange eggplant rounds on prepared sheets; brush lightly with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 10 minutes. Turn rounds over and bake until tender and golden, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes with their juices, mint and oregano and simmer until sauce thickens and is reduced to 1 3/4 cups, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon half of tomato sauce into shallow 2-quart baking dish. Arrange eggplant rounds atop sauce, overlapping slightly. Spoon remaining sauce over. Sprinkle cheese over. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with basil.

PASTA SALAD WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT, CHILE AND MINT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. On rimmed baking sheet, toss together eggplant, 3 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread into one layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until the eggplant is golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Place tomato in large bowl and sprinkle lightly with salt.
• Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook penne to al dente according to package instructions; drain well.
• While pasta cooks, heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Stir in garlic, anchovies and chile flakes, and cook until golden and soft, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and, using slotted spoon, transfer garlic to cutting board. Let garlic cool for a few minutes, then chop up and add back to the oil. Pour garlic-chile into bowl with tomatoes. Add eggplant and capers, and toss well.
• Add pasta to bowl with eggplant and tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste, and drizzle generously with oil. Toss in herbs and serve warm or at room temperature.