Tossed Eggplant Salad Food

MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT SALAD

Steps:

• Heat the grill to medium heat. Slice the eggplant into rounds. Rub salt on each side of the eggplant and lay on a baking sheet for an hour. Use a paper towel to pat the eggplant dry and then brush each side of the eggplant generously with olive oil. Sprinkle each side of the eggplant with salt, pepper and za'atar {the za'atar is optional}.
• Place the eggplant on the grill and cook for 5 minutes. Flip eggplant and grill until browned on bottom and soft. Let the eggplant cool and then chop into small pieces.
• In a large bowl mix the eggplant with the remaining ingredients and toss lightly to combine.

COLD EGGPLANT SALAD WITH SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• Trim eggplant, and cut into cubes of 1/2 to 1 inch. If using large eggplant, sprinkle with salt, put in a colander, and let sit at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour. Rinse.
• Boil large pot of water. Blanch eggplant in boiling water 2 minutes, no more. It will become just tender. Drain in colander as you would pasta.
• Toast sesame seeds in small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently until they color slightly. Dry eggplant with paper towels. Combine remaining ingredients, and toss with eggplant and sesame seeds in bowl. Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate until ready to serve. Covered well, the salad will remain flavorful for a day.

EGGPLANT SALAD

Steps:

• Prick the eggplants all over with a fork and singe them over the burner of a gas stove, turning constantly, for about 10 minutes until the skin is black and blistered. Allow to cool.
• Carefully peel the eggplant skin. (This can be fussy, but you want to get all the skin off.) Pull the eggplant into strips and lay them in a shallow bowl.
• Mix the fish sauce with the lime juice, the sugar and a couple of tablespoons of water. Add the minced garlic and chile flakes. Pour over the eggplant and marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours. When ready to serve, garnish with a few leaves of chopped cilantro or mint.

EGGPLANT SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Pierce eggplants several times with a fork, and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until completely softened. Cool completely. Remove skin and chop fine. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, and set aside.
• In a skillet, cook garlic in 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat until lightly browned. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the vinegar, sugar, oregano, and basil until well blended and sugar is dissolved. Pour over the eggplant, and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss again. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.