Eggplant Enigma

Does anyone know of any simple ways to prepare eggplant that doesn't involve a lot of other ingredients or an oven?

Microwave ...ok, toaster oven .... ok, electric frying pan ... ok)

(I've never purchased or eaten an eggplant, but was thinking about trying something new.... and I really like my veggies just simply cooked, and then seasoned (as opposed to making eggplant lasagna or something like that.)  I am not looking for a recipe, per se, but rather some simple prep/cooking tips.

An eggplant enigma ....

=^..^= MOLLY

im not sure of ways to prepare it but my dad said its a good idea to soak it in salt water, it gets the bitterness out. i have no idea why.

well, i know you said no oven, but here's what I do. Poke some hole's in it and oven bake it like a potato, 400 degress ' bout and hour, than when it's done I cut it long ways and scoop out the inside. you can eat the peel on the spot or discard it your call.

Anyway, I mash the innards with some hummus and leave in my fridge to cool. makes an awesome dip that'll last about a week, so you can make like 2 eggplants at once, and than have the eggplant hummus stuff everyday of the week with the simple step off taking it out of the fridge.

Mmmm, eggplant. If you're using it in a recipe, like lasagna or parmigiana, put into a colander, springle w/ sea salt, and let it "weep" for 30 minutes or so.  Then pat the pieces dry before you use them. It will cook up without making the dish too watery.

A simple way to prepare eggplant is to brush with a bit of olive oil, and grill on a gas or BBQ grill for 3 or so minutes on a side. Experiment with how "well done" you like the texture to be. Then season (I like it with some balsamic or sherry vinegar), and eat with chopped tomato salad, or some grilled onions. Generally the smaller ones are more tender, but I like the medium size ones from the regular grocery store for grilling. We sometimes get the large ones, then grill them with a portobello mushroom to make a "meaty" (at least texture-wise) veggie sandwich.

Or grill with a coating -- dip the eggplant slices both sides in egg beaters, and coat with Panko bread crumbs (season the crumbs w/ sea salt and ground pepper, or whatever you like), then grill 'em up for some crunchy goodness. Try the "Moosewood Cookbook" or any of its brethren from the library for more lovely eggplant recipes. Also Jamie Oliver, the "Naked Chef" from Food Network has some good basic eggplant recipes.


Also, you can roast it in the oven (peeled first), and spin it in the food processor with roasted garlic, tahini and lemon to make baba ghanouj (in my mind translated as "food of the gods,"), a wonderful dip for veggies, pita, or crackers.

 

Original Post by bee_roach:

Off topic, but I was just reading quickly through thread titles and I swear I saw "eggplant enema"; that stopped me in my tracks. Haha :)

 

Too funny.

=^..^= MOLLY

I peel mine and slice it thinly and then put tomato sauce and sometimes soy cheese or tofu on it. Then I bake it until it looks done. I figure you could do this in a microwave or a toaster oven. Salt, pepper, etc.

I have no answer for you I just wanted to say that this post has prompted me to add eggplant to this week's grocery list, so thank you : )

I love eggplant more than anything and my favorite way I like it is to slice it thin and roast it in the oven until they are "chip-like"..... hmmmm! Then you can dip em in tomato sauce: ohhh yea! ITS GREAT! -- I season them with thyme & oregano & garlic & onion powder..

I also slice the eggplant into spaghetti like shapes & sautee them with tomatoes & onions & garlic - really good too! I always put some sort of meat in there too: like chicken or turkey breast that is ground....  

This thread is definitely inspiring this weekend's menu at my house :)

My favorite way to cook eggplant is to cut it into lage cubes and toss it with some coarse sea salt, let it sit for awhile - the salt does draw out the bitterness - and then I brush off the salt and put it on a skewer with some other veggies, lightly brush with olive oil, season with a little pepper & garlic powder & grill - either on an actual grill, under the broiler in the oven, even a george forman grill works well & it's SUPER YUMMY :)

My favorite way to cook eggplant is in a dish called "Le Tien" that my mom always made when we were little. I bet you could modify it to make it in a toaster oven. What you do is slice an even amount of tomatoes, eggplant and onions in as even of rounds as you can. Put a little olive oil and garlic in the bottom of a roasting pan. Layer the vegetables in, alternating, standing up till the pan is full and they're holding themselves up. Like making a veggie bookshelf in your pan. Then drizzle a little more olive oil on top, and sprinkle the whole thing with Herbes de Provence (or Italian Seasoning works too). Bake at 400 for half an hour or so, or until the eggplant is tender all the way through. Top with low fat Mozzarella or Soy cheese and bake until golden brown. Enjoy!

 

You can cut it into matchsticks, then salt it and let it sit for 15 minutes in a colander in the sink so the bitter juices can drain. Then squeeze out all the juices.

This way it can be stirred into a tomato sauce for pasta or saute with tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil for a great bruschetta. I also use it in green curry, but the coconut milk makes it not so diet-friendly.

Or sliced crosswise (same salt and drain technique), it can be sauteed for a sandwich. Goes great with a balsamic vinaigrette. And of course, lots of garlic.

I have never soaked or drained eggplant, I like the Japanese variety best because it does not have any bitter taste. Plain 'ol eggplant is good just sauteed with olive oil (or spray the pan) garlic salt and pepper. Dang, now I'm hungry again. :)

mmmm - i looove eggplant. and i just found out on CC that almost half the calories are from fiber! which is awesome and makes this vegetable even more appealing. i like to chop it up with other veggies and put it in a wok with some delicious tomato sauce - here's what i usually put in:

 1 eggplant

2 zucchinis

2 peppers (one yellow, one orange)

1 onion

1 cup mushrooms

1-2 cups tomato sauce

 

then, i just let it simmer on my stove until the tomato sauce has permeated most of the vegetables. what i loove about it is that it's super low cal (i think the entire thing is around 400 calories) and it can last you for days! mmm, i just made a fresh batch on the stove. i use organic tomato sauce with portabella mushrooms.  

 giasbash, your idea to create eggplant chips is genius!! i can't wait to try it :)

yum yum yum yum yum ... thanks, everyone!

=^..^= MOLLY