Eggplant Involtini

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggplants (~1.5 lbs each)
• 1 small red onion
• olive oil
• 1 quart whole tomatoes in juice (not puree)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 pinch dried red pepper flakes
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• pecorino cheese
• 1 slice bread
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, or 1 large dollop Gourmet Gardens® basil paste
• Redmond's® Real Salt
• McCormack's® Peppercorn Medley

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees


Directions:

Prep.  Line two large baking pans with greased parchment paper and set aside.  Grate pecorino cheese (about 3/4 cups rounded) and set aside.  Mince onion and set aside.  Mince Garlic and set aside.  Use a food processor to create breadcrumbs from the slice of bread and set aside.  Drain the tomatoes into a bowl.  Rough chop the tomatoes.  Put the pieces into the bowl of tomato juice and set aside.

Roast the eggplants.  Peel the eggplants.  Trim a small bit from each side so that all your ensuing slices can lay flat.  Slice into 1/2 inch slices.  Lay out the slices on the pans.  Brush olive oil (about 5 tablespoons) on the slices, then salt and pepper.  Flip and repeat.  Place into the oven and roast for approximately 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest, flipping after 5 minutes lest condensation form beneath the slices.

Make the tomato sauce (whilst the eggplant slices are roasting).  In a sauteause pan (one that can go into the oven), put one teaspoon of olive oil and brown the onions.  Part way through, add the garlic and finishing browning.  Add in the tomatoes and their juice.  Add oregano, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon peppercorn medley, and pinch of red pepper flakes.  Let simmer whilst making the cheese filling.

Make the cheese filling.  In a medium bowl, add together the ricotta, a well rounded (heaping) 1/2 cup of pecorino, the breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (about 1/2 of a large lemon), the basil (I prefer the paste) and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Mix until well-blended.

Roll the eggplant slices. Distribute the cheese mixture evenly amongst the slices by placing a hefty soup spoon of cheese mixture onto the large end of the eggplant slices.  Starting from that large end, roll up the eggplant slices around the cheese mixture.  Place each slice into the sauce, with the seam side down.  Put one eggplant roll into the middle of the pan and fan the rest around it into a circle.

Finish.  Simmer on the stove for 12-15 minutes (look for the cheese mixture to melt).  Remove from the stove and top with more grated pecorino.  Finish in the oven beneath broil to brown the top.


Myrtle's Note:  I saw this on America's Test Kitchen and wanted to make it immediately.  Whilst I did tweak the tomato sauce a bit, I found the recipe rather easy to follow (once I transcribed it from the video).  This was one of the absolute best eggplant recipes I have ever had.  And was a bit hit with guests.  Over all, none of the steps are complicated and the end result is an impressive dish.  The key is to do all your prep beforehand so that you can smoothly go from prepping and roasting the eggplant slices to the sauce to the cheese mixture to the rolls.


Yield: 4-6 servings

Source:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngU9ke0ykNc

Baba Ganoush

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• 1/4 cup tahini, plus more as needed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Directions:

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill. Prick the eggplant with a fork in several places and place on the grill rack 4 to 5 inches from the fire.  Grill, turning frequently, until the skin blackens and blisters and the flesh just begins to feel soft, 10 to 15 minutes.

Transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet and bake until very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and peel off and discard the skin and the juice, using only the flesh.

Place the eggplant flesh in a bowl.  Using a fork, mash the eggplant into a paste.  Alternatively, run it through a food processor.  Add the tahini, the garlic, lemon juice, and cumin and mix well.  Season with salt (I used 1/4 teaspoon), then taste and add more tahini and/or lemon juice, if needed.

Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well.  Drizzle the olive oil over the top.  Serve at room temperature.

Myrtle's Note:  I loved this recipe.  I accidentally doubled it because I roasted two eggplants instead of one.  Something that I did was to peel off one strip of skin and then use a spoon to scoop out all the roasted goodness inside.  This way, the clean-up was rather easy.  Of course, I left off the olives and parsley.  They are in the original recipe.  However, I would like to point out that in the Lebanese restaurants I have visited, I have never had olives or parsley with the baba ganoush I ordered.

Source:  http://www.food.com/recipe/baba-ganoush-the-best-in-the-world-67570

Grilled Eggplant with Balsamic Vinegar, Basil, Feta, and Grilled Baguette

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 pounds eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup Colavita aged balsamic vinegar (sweet vinegar of Modena)
• Spray olive oil, for grill
• 1 baguette, halved lengthwise
• 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil paste

Directions:

Sprinkle eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons salt, place in a colander, and let stand 30 minutes. Wipe off salt and moisture with paper towels.

Cut 2 tablespoons of fresh basil paste into the feta cheese and set aside.

Mix olive oil, thyme, 2 teaspoons sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons oil mixture. Place vinegar in a small saucepan over high heat. Cook until reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in reserved oil mixture, and let cool.

Preheat grill to medium; brush grill with vegetable oil. Brush eggplant slices generously with some remaining oil mixture. Grill eggplant, covered, until slightly charred and tender, about 4 minutes per side.

Increase grill temperature to high. Brush baguette with remaining oil mixture, and grill until toasted, about 3 minutes. Cut baguette into pieces in various sizes.

Place eggplant, baguette, and feta on a large platter. Drizzle eggplant and feta with some vinegar mixture. Serve with remaining vinegar mixture and feta cheese.


Myrtle's Note:  The original recipe calls for setting aside only one tablespoon of olive oil, but I found that insufficient to properly brush the egg plant.  I ended up mixing together the ingredients for additional olive oil.  Also, instead of garnishing with basil leaves, I cut fresh basil paste into the feta and let it sit for a while.  Finally, I believe the serving size was realistically half of what the recipe stated, unless used as a small serving appetizer.  I served this for lunch for some visitors.  The remaining vinegar mixture is good for salad.

Yield: 4 servings

Source:  http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/grilled-eggplant-balsamic-feta-baguette-mslo0510-recipe