eggplant, wonderful eggplant...

so, i love me some eggplant... i just bought a small one today to make this version of "lasagna" where you slice eggplant lengthwise, broil it until it gets a bit browned, and then use the slices as a substitute for pasta. whip up a fast tomato sauce and add crumbled tofu mixed with italian herbs in place of the cheese, throw in some spinach and all the veggies you've got (i use grated carrot, sliced tomato, diced onion, diced green pepper, and anything else i can find in the fridge) and it's an excellent and filling dish that holds up all week for leftovers that still taste good.

BUT...

since the husband had it twice and said it's "good but not anything he really wants to eat again" (he and i differ on our ideas of good food, mine includes organic fresh foods with no salt, his involves anything covered in cheese), i now make very small versions of this so that i won't have to waste anything. last time i made it was about 3 weeks ago and i still have cubed eggplant that i didn't use in my freezer.

this is a very long winded way to ask for your favorite (vegan)eggplant recipes! i know i could just go on vegweb.com but i'd ask you guys since we're all in the same boat, i figured i'd ask my fellow healthy eaters for their opinions :) the eggplant i have to use is in about 1 inch cubes with the skin still on, and i have maybe 1 1/2 to 2 cups of it... i have no access to a food processer right now, so baba ganoush is out, sadly.

that sounds reallllly good....

if they are already grilled, just mash them up ( you don't need a food processor) into a creamy texture, add herbs and spread on bread.

else

fry them in a bit of olive oil, add any spice you like and eat as a side dish

or

boil potatoes. then make mashed potatoes and stir in the veggies.

or

next time you make any dish in the oven, add the eggplant.

if you eat pasta:

boil short pasta

make a tomato sauce

fry some of the eggplant pieces

add the tofu if you want

toss the pasta with the eggplant and the sauce

(sort of pasta alla norma)

or

roll the pieces in flour and breadcrumbs and make little veggieballs.

i've been making two dishes with eggplant that i really like

the first is a little boring/bland but filling and with the right seasoning i think would improve

eggplant and black beans over rice. that's it. i've been seasoning with garlic, pepper, salt and red pepper and then adding a little soy sauce.

my favorite is eggplant sushi. you just follow any sushi recipe but then for the filling i saute slices of eggplant (season with garlic, salt, pepper) and then cut into strips to roll. soooo good!!!!

the eggplant sushi idea is excellent. It works for other cuisines as well. Just adapt. LOL!!!!!!!

There's also pureed eggplant with lemon and onions. Simple but tasty on a slice of rye bread.

I like to use raw eggplant as the basis for "pasta" and "pizza".  Someone mentioned thinly slicing it as lasagna -- you can marinate these thin slices in salt and herbs and oil overnight to turn the eggplant into soft but firm layers of pasta.  Add sundried tomato pasta sauce or pesto, maybe some basil pesto, maybe some pureed nuts... yum.

As for pizza, I will use a thick, wide round of eggplant, lightly salted and left to "weep" for a few hours, as the "crust" for a pizza.  The fastest pizza I've ever made was as follows:

5-minute Personal Pizza

2"-thick slice of eggplant
2 Tbsp raw almond butter
1 large beefsteak tomato, sliced
handful basil
sprinkle oregano

Spread almond butter on salted eggplant round.  Cover this in slices of tomato.  Add chopped basil and sprinkle on some oregano, salt, and pepper to taste.

It was actually pretty damn tasty.

If you have some squash and some peppers and tomatos and onions you can mke rattatoille.

the way I make it is to basically toss the veggies {minus the tomatos, and onions} with a little olive or canola oil and roast them in the oven.

Meanwhile saute the onions in some oil and than add in diced {peeled if your fussy} tomatoas and heat thru. add in the roast veggies and toss.

goes great over a whole grain pasta, brown rice or even by itself.

I modified the recipe a bit and you can add italian or almost any seasonings you like to flavor it.