Eggplant Caviar

Continuing with my usual blogging has not been the easiest and smoothest thing on my list of things to do...just like my daily tasks these days, but I'm trying my best to catch up. I know I owe you, my dear friends comments, and replies on your blogs. It's not enough to be replying back on  my comment section, it should be done directly by visiting your blogs.

So, I will try harder...you've been all so sweet and kind with all your comments. I thank you for that!
I seldom make eggplant dishes, although I do love eggplant...as do all my family. So many ways of preparing it, for appetizers, side dishes, and main dishes. It is so versatile and can be prepared so deliciously, just like I made it for a wonderful appetizer.

 Eggplant Caviar is another favorite Sicilian dish which I have been making for a long time. It is quite similar to the famous Caponata, but with less ingredients, and is simplified, using only a few additions. Also, traditionally it is peeled and mashed up into a paste-like concoction which is not so attractive...so I prefer to leave the skins on which as you can see is soft and edible, and also leave most of it in chunks. All you need is some crusty bread, and enjoy!

Eggplant Caviar
recipe by; Elisabeth

1 large eggplant
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced fine
1/4 cup small capers
juice of 1 lemon
a handful of fresh chopped Italian parsley
sea salt, or Kosher salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste
crushed red pepper flakes, about 1 teaspoon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with dull side of the aluminum foil side up; spray with cooking spray. Cut eggplant in half, lengthwise then cut into thirds, and into segments as shown on photo. You can spray some more spray on the eggplant slices, or drizzle oil. (I sprayed mine with cooking spray)

Bake for about 20 minutes, and check to see if it needs liquid; just don't add any more oil...add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of plain water to the pan...it will soak into the eggplant. Continue baking for another 25 minutes.(45 minutes total)

When eggplant has a brownish color and soft, carefully take the hot baking pan out and remove the eggplant pieces with a flat spatula onto a cutting board to cool for a few minutes then, cut into bite size pieces.

Have a medium size bowl ready to add the 1/2 cup oil, the chopped garlic, pepper flakes, capers, parsley, the vinegar, and the lemon juice. Add the salt and pepper. Carefully add the eggplant, you can mash some of them up. Stir carefully, and serve it on small plates for first course, or just appetizer. Drizzle extra oil on top, and garnish with extra parsley.  Serves 4

Baked Eggplant with Roasted Potatoes #3





Just when you thought I had enough potatoes...here comes more!...OK, enough of the potato "show"...or not! This dish is so classic, so easy, and the potatoes have of course, my Indian inspired spices, along with my Hungarian paprika. Simple spicy Italian dressing, right from the bottle is what I used for marinating the eggplant slices for about an hour, and just patting a thick layer of Panko crumbs on it, and bake it very nicely along with the vegetables for almost an hour, until it gets nicely brown and crispy...oh my, what a treat...tastes so rich, it's so yummy, and satisfying, if you have any leftover, the next day you can just make a sandwich with the eggplant, and eat it cold. It's that good!

Baked Eggplant with Roasted Potatoes

1 large eggplant

2-4 large baking potatoes

2 whole garlic

1 onion

1/2 cup spicy Italian dressing

or (oil, and vinegar+spices)

3Tbsp vegetable oil

cooking spray

1/2 cup plain water

a mixture of Indian inspired spices+

Hungarian hot, or sweet Paprika

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch slices.( you need it a little thick, so it can have a good bite and flavor to it.). Soak the eggplant slices in salty water for about 20 minutes. Cut potatoes into quarter wedges, and set aside in a bowl of water. Cut the onion into quarters, cut the tops of the garlic off.

In order to get the spices coating the potatoes, just put the potatoes in a large Ziploc baggie, and put the spices directly in there, give it a good shake, and it's done. Do the same thing with the eggplant and the dressing.

 Put the eggplant with the dressing in a large Ziploc baggie, let it marinade for at least 30 minutes than just dip them in Panko, or course breadcrumbs on a platter, adding more marinade as needed, because, you have to pat them on with your hands, to make sure it's adhered. Layer everything, in a single layer on an aluminum lined large baking pan, pour the oil right under the vegetables, along, with starting out with 1/4 cup of water, adding the rest after about 30 minutes. (For the garlic, drizzle extra right on top)

Spray all the veggies, and eggplant with Pam, or other cooking spray, to prevent dryness, and to assure nice even baking. Bake for about 45 minutes, adding the 1/4 cup of the reserved water, to assure even baking.

That's really how you make crispy oven baked vegetables, especially eggplant. Serves 4.

note: Hungarian Paprika source-BENDE

Truly, the best imported Hungarian Paprika, you can find. I have ordered from them for the last 10 years, they ship promptly, and surprisingly the shipping charge is very minimal. Always satisfied, with the best products, and beautifully packaged, and generous amount for a very fair price...can't get these products in a store, elsewhere, because everything is either made on their premises, or imported.

Just when you thought I had enough potatoes...here comes more! This one is Italian spices inspired. Same roasting method! OK...so maybe I'm Irish, and don't even know it. Actually, not!
Just a blend of "Heinz 57, as they say"...a nice mixture of Mediterranean, and Eastern European!...yes, that's my heritage,my dear friends.
 

Baba Ghanoush

As you can see, from my previous eggplant posting, that we love eggplant, of any kind, but Baba Ganoush, the Middle Eastern dish is one of our all time favorite. It is easy to just simply roast in the oven and cut it open, let it cool a little, and scoop out all that goodness from the pulp. Just chop it up with a potato masher, and add all the nice spices that it calls for...and don't forget the Tahini!

 Baba Ghanoush

2 large eggplants

1/4 to 1/2 cup Tahini (sesame paste)

3 garlic cloves, minced

juice of 1 lemon

a pinch of ground cumin

a pinch of dry oregano (fresh is even better)

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

a small handful of fresh chopped parsley

1/4 cup brine-cured black olives, or Kalamata olives

On a baking sheet, line aluminum foil, prick the eggplants all over with a fork, drizzle with a small amount  of vegetable oil and roll it around, so that it's all covered with the oil. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 35t-45 minutes and test to see if it's soft. (It has to be totally soft.)

Remove from the oven, and cut in half, as show in photo, let it cool a little before scooping the pulp out. Place the eggplant in a bowl, and with a potato masher mash it to a nice paste. Add the Tahini, the garlic, the spices and lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning, if needed. Transfer the mixture to a nice serving dish and drizzle a little more extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with the parsley, and place the olives around the sides. Serve with toasted pita bread, or crostini. Naan is very good too to serve with. Serves 6.




 

Mediterranean Eggplant with Peppers, and Onions

So much for making my Eggplant balls. My daughter bought a ton of baby Japanese eggplants from our local Latina Produce market for about 10 for $1.00. Wow, how can you not want to get some? The trick is, finding a way of making these babies so they can still "shine" and show off their cute and tiny appearance. Unfortunately, after being roasted in a 375 degree oven, they come out looking like an over baked...or should I say "over tanned" wrinkled old lady. But do not "fret."...that's the best part. You can now, savor the flavor, of the tender,  little eggplants.
Treat them gently, and not peel them to discard their skins, or mash them up into a "Baba Ganoush" which I was about to do. Just let them be, and let their personalities flourish!

Mediterranean Eggplants with Peppers, and Onions
10 small Japanese eggplants
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 large tomato
1 green pepper
1 red, and/or yellow pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary, peeled
2 Tbsp olive oil (not extra virgin)
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano (fresh better, if you have it)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prick the eggplants a few places with a fork, and lay them on a baking sheet with aluminum foil lined, drizzle them with a Tablespoon of olive oil a few drops of water, and bake them for about 45 minutes. They should feel soft to the touch, brown and somewhat wrinkly. If you have room on the same sheet, (I prefer a separate baking sheet) for the vegetables, and bake them at the same time as the eggplant.
To prepare the vegetables:
Cut peppers in half and clean out the seeds, cut onion in half and cut slices lengthwise also.Cut tomatoes in large cubes. In a bowl, mix them all together with the chopped garlic, the rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper, and place them on the baking sheet, adding the wine, and roast them at the same time, as the eggplant. When both are done, wait for the eggplant to cool a little so you can slice them in thirds and in an oven proof dish, carefully mix the two together. By now, they have gotten a little cool; you can serve them this way, or put the dish back into to oven for about 15 minutes, to thoroughly heat through. Serves 4.