Eggplant Danish

I've decided it's time to challenge myself to new ways to cook eggplant.

Eggplant Lasagne, Rolatini, Little Gram's Appetizer... Stuffed Eggplant, Eggplant Caviar... They've been done. Many times.

It's time to start thinking outside of the box, so to speak. And that's how Eggplant Danish came to be!

I was thinking of making a sweet dough for breakfast and left myself a note that just said "make danish."  This morning I looked at the note and decided it meant to make a savory danish - with eggplant. I mean - why not, right?!?

Right.

So I set to work. I pulled out my basic sweet dough recipe and thought that it would work as written - with the addition of some chopped herbs. It's a pretty basic recipe and not overly-sweet. I figured I'd keep the sugar for tenderness and just add some herbs to offset.

Eggplant Danish

Dough:

  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 5 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 pkt yeast
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cube (stick) butter
  • 2 tbsp chopped assorted herbs (basil, oregano, parsley, chives, mint, etc.)

Lightly warm milk. Stir into mixing bowl with 1 tbsp sugar and 1/2 packet yeast. Proof about 5 minutes. Add eggs and mix.

Add flour, salt and remaining 4 tbsp sugar, and mix with dough hook.

Add softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well between additions.

Continue to mix for about 5 minutes or until soft dough is formed.

Add chopped herbs and mix well. Dough will be very soft.

Roll into ball and place in buttered bowl to rise until doubled.

Filling:

  • 2 medium eggplants
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh herbs
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 1 cup chopped roasted hot peppers
  • 1 cup shredded asiago cheese
  • 1/4 cup Dry Marsala

Peel and dice eggplant. Mix eggplant with olive oil and place on a lined baking pan. Roast in a 375°F oven for about 45 minutes or until soft and well-cooked.

When slightly cooled, place in food processor with garlic, herbs, cheese, marsala, and S&P to taste. Set aside to cool completely.

To Assemble:

Roll out dough on a floured board. Dough will be very soft.

Spread with cooled eggplant mixture.

Scatter roasted hot peppers atop eggplant.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Roll from long end, jelly-roll-style. Slice into rolls, 1 1/2" to 2" wide and place on greased cookie sheet. They will be soft and slightly messy. Just go for it.

Top with chopped pistachios, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise, again, about 30 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for about 25 minutes.

Let cool and enjoy.

They came out ridiculously good! The dough is really light and the flavors just work without any underlying sweetness. There's the subtle eggplant, the cheese, the herbs, the crunch of the pistachios... We are pleased with this one!

We already dived into them but they're really going to work tonight with roasted chicken and sweet potatoes...

What's next?!?

 

 

 


Melanzane or Aubergine or Eggplant or...

Regardless of what ya call it, we have it. I think I mentioned that we had a hard time keeping up with one plant last year - so this year we planted two of them.

What were we thinking?!?

I mean... it may be time to put myself up for a Darwin Award. Well... an Honorable Mention, anyway...

They are the plants that keep on giving - and look as if they will be giving for quite a while. Time to start getting creative.

I decided tonight was going to be an all-eggplant egg-straveganza and thought a souffle was in order. When was the last time you had an eggplant souffle?!? If your answer is "never" - join the club. Neither had we.

Which, of course, meant I had to make one.

A souffle is basically stuff lightened by egg whites and baked in the oven, so I felt reasonably confident I could pull this one off. I'm good at stuff and we always have plenty of eggs in the house. Off to the kitchen I went...

There were 5 eggplants in the bowl on the table. I took the largest three and started work. One was going to be for the main course part of dinner - two for the souffle.

Eggplant Souffle

  • 2 medium eggplants
  • 3 green plum tomatoes
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 1/2 cup dry marsala
  • Robiola cheese
  • Asiago Cheese
  • Ricotta Salada Cheese
  • Provolone Cheese
  • Mozzarella Cheese
  • 5 eggs
  • Fresh Basil
  • Fresh Oregano
  • Fresh Mint
  • Fresh Chives
  • S&P

I peeled and diced 2 of the eggplants and tossed them in a bowl with some olive oil and a bit of S&P. I spread it out on a sheet pan and roasted it for about 45 minutes at 375°F. along with 3 green plum tomatoes and a few cloves of garlic.

Meanwhile, I sauteed the diced celery and shallots in a combination of butter and olive oil.

When the eggplant was well cooked and nicely browned, I mixed it and the garlic and the tomatoes with the celery. I then added the chopped herbs. I just picked and grabbed - probably about a loosely-packed half cup all together.

Next went the cheese. I probably used just under 2 cups of chopped, sliced, and/or shredded cheeses.

I let it cool just a bit and then added 5 egg yolks and mixed it all very well.

I whipped the egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar to stiff peaks and then folded them into the eggplant mixture.

I buttered a casserole dish and then coated it with bread crumbs and poured the eggplant inside, leveled the top, and placed it into a 350°F oven for about 45 minutes.

This really rocked the Casbah! Really light, rich, and flavorful. Great texture and consistency. Almost like I have to start making more souffles!

And then we had the main course - sausages and vegetables...

Into the pot went a clean-out-the-'fridge assortment of veggies... the third eggplant - sliced into strips, fennel, beans from the garden, watermelon radishes, onion, celery, carrots, yellow zucchini, along with some garlic, red wine, and S&P. I covered it and let it simmer away for about 20 minutes, and then added some peeled potatoes I just cut in half and buried in the pan. A few minutes later, I added the sausage and let it cook another 10 minutes, covered. Then it went uncovered into a 375°F oven to brown the sausage and evaporate a bit of the juices.

Two totally different eggplant concepts - and they both worked well...

I wonder what eggplant ice cream would be like?

Hmmmmmm.........


Eggplant Lasagne

I now have another recipe that I never have to make. Ya know how some folks just own a recipe? They make it the best and there's just no reason to try and make it, yourself. On this coast, it's things like Marie's Jelly Strips and Joanna's Wedding Rings. I'm not going to improve on them, so there's just no reason to make them. I'm satisfied getting them when they make them.

The latest in my getting-longer list of recipes is Eggplant Lasagne. Victor owns this one. I'm just not going to bother.

I've been going crazy looking for a post and a recipe because he's made this a lot - but I'll be damned if I can find one. I can't believe I haven't documented this one, before. It's just too damned good.

The premise is quite simple - build a lasagne, but use slices of eggplant as the noodles. It's stellar.

Layers of homemade sauce, floured, breaded, and fried eggplant, ricotta, mozzarella, more sauce, fresh basil... layers upon layers of greatness, covered, baked, and then served to the salivating crowd.

It's that good.

That's a 9x13 pan. Enough lasagne for the neighborhood. I'm going to portion and freeze some tomorrow. I've been emptying out the freezer to hold our summer bounty.

There are more eggplants on the vine - and more dishes to create.

I'm thinking an eggplant souffle... I wonder if I can convince him to start making souffles?!?

Hmmmmmmm.....

 


Stuffed Eggplant

That one little eggplant just keeps on giving. I pulled six more off the plant when we got back from California and there's probably another six that are ready, right now. Who knew one plant was going to be so prolific.

It's good that we like eggplant - and it's even better than Nonna has decided she likes it, again. She went through a period of a couple of years where she wouldn't touch it. Now she's asking Victor to make Eggplant Lasagne!

Go figure.

We have enough eggplant canned downstairs to last us through winter and I really am looking forward to a nice snowy day, baking some fresh bread, and having Victor make some homemade pasta.

Have I ever mentioned that we tend to eat well around here?

But future meals aside, we had eggplants here and now that needed cooking! And that's where Victor came through with Stuffed Eggplants. He had been thinking about this most of the week so I was pretty stoked to come home and see them ready to go into the oven. It's so nice being married to a man who can cook!

As with much of what we cook, there really wasn't a recipe, per se. It was more just following instinct and creating.

Stuffed Eggplants

  • Eggplants
  • Ground Beef
  • Carnaroli Rice (Italian short-grained risotto-style rice)
  • Carrots, diced
  • Celery, diced
  • Garlic
  • Pasta Sauce (Victor's homemade)
  • Bread Crumbs
  • Pimentos
  • Olives
  • Sun-Dried Tomatoes
  • Shredded Cheese for topping

Cut eggplants in half and scoop out flesh. Finely chop. Saute the chopped eggplant with garlic, carrots, and celery until vegetables are soft. Add pasta sauce and rice and simmer until rice is tender.

Cook ground beef. Add to eggplant mixture along with the pimento, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir in some bread crumbs.

Stuff eggplants with filling and top with a few more bread crumbs and some shredded cheese.

Cover and bake in a 350°F oven about 45 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking another 15 or so minutes..

This really was outstanding. Easy to pull together and really versatile. If we made it, again, it would be similar, but different. Might or might not have pimentos, type of olives could change, fresh tomatoes might stand in for the sun-dried...

You get the idea. The basic concept is there - the minute details change according to what's in the larder. And since we keep a pretty well-stocked larder, anything is possible!

We seldom let the lack of a specific item keep us from making something. A little fun and creativity is a good thing.

 

 

 


Canning Little Grandma's Eggplant Appetizer

Mother Nature is smiling down on us because one eggplant plant is producing eggplant for the world! It's just unbelievable. It's going bonkers. Talk about a perfect location.

We've been giving them to neighbors as fast as we can, but yesterday Victor went out and there were 7 that were immediately ready to eat.  Two went to neighbors and five came inside for canning.

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I made and canned a caponata at the beginning of the season but this time we decided to go with Little Grandma's Eggplant Appetizer. Little Gram wrote in 1993 - when she was a mere 93 -

My family loves this. When I make it, they eat it like candy. Well, it is sweet! I find that eggplants are better in the summer, even though you can get them all year round. This is another recipe I have been making for many years. I got it from my mother who brought it over from Sicily. She and my father worked for a nobleman when they lived there. Ma used to cook for the man and his family. That's probably where she got many recipes. This dish is really a type of Caponota that many Italian families make.

We have made this many, many times - it's a great caponata - but this is the first time we've made this much of it at once.

Victor started out by peeling and cutting all of those eggplants. He actually did all the work. I just did the canning part.

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Then it was into olive oil, for frying.

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Meanwhile, the celery and then olives were parboiled.

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Finally, everything came together...

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And into jars for processing.

I was able to can 8 pints of eggplant. I sent 7 down to the basement and kept one for dinner, tonight. I'm thinking chicken and cooking up some of the polenta I picked up at the Italian Market two weeks ago. Simple, but oh, so good!

This is going to be great at Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Little Grandma's Eggplant Appetizer

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium eggplant
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 3/4 cups halved or chopped green olives
  • 3 cups thinned Italian tomato sauce
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 tablespoons vinegar
  • 1/4 chopped Locatelli cheese
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • fresh basil and mint

Cut eggplant in strips the size of French fries. Salt and let stand about an a hour. Dry on a paper towel. Deep fry in hot oil. Keep oil as hot as possible without burning. Add eggplant one at a time and keep adding one at a time to keep the oil at the same temperature. Fry each one until tender and cooked. Drain on paper towels.

To Make Sauce:

Parboil celery for ten minutes. Add olives and cook another five minutes. Drain all water out of the pot. Add the thinned tomato sauce and boil for ten minutes. Add vinegar and sugar. Cook for three minutes. Add cheese. Make it come to a boil and then turn off heat and allow to cool.

Pour sauce over fried eggplants. Garnish with fresh Basil and mint that have been sliced into very thin strips.

 


Eggplant Rollatini

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The eggplants are coming in fast and furious. Every day there are more flowers and more fruit. It's the Summer of Eggplant! And what fun we are having!

Victor made an eggplant lasagne the other day that was beyond stellar. Layers of thinly-sliced eggplant floured and fried, layered with cheeses and sauce... Baked in the oven until perfect.

The most amazing thing about it, however, wasn't that it was outstandingly delicious, it was that Nonna loved it! Not only did she all but lick her plate, she requested it for lunch - twice! She has refused to eat eggplant for the almost 4 years she has lived here - and now she's clamoring for more. It's like a Christmas Miracle in August.

Tonight was an eggplant rollatini that was also beyond stellar. His idea was to just make a small side dish. I saw it and decided it was dinner - hell with the side dish idea!

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That's one eggplant. I sliced it thin on my mandoline and Victor took it from there... There are no recipes for things like this. Like the lasagne a few nights ago, you just make it. That being said, here's an approximation of what he did.

Eggplant Rollatini

  • 1 eggplant, thinly sliced
  • flour
  • eggs
  • pesto
  • ricotta
  • grated parmesan
  • garlic powder
  • parsley
  • salt & pepper
  • tomato sauce

Dip thin slices of eggplant in flour and then egg. Fry until lightly browned on both sides.

Mix ricotta, parmesan, 1 egg, garlic powder, lots of chopped parsley, and a bit of S&P.

Spread cooked eggplant with pesto and then with ricotta. Roll up and place seam-side down in baking dish. Top with tomato sauce and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until heated through.

If you want to serve them as an appetizer, don't top them with the sauce - have it available on the side.

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Totally stellar - no matter how you do it!

 


Sicilian Pasta alla Norma

Makes 6 servings:

  • 500 grams of pasta (any type)
  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes for sauce
  • 4 eggplants
  • A sprig of fresh basil
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • grated parmesan
  • 6 mint leafs finely chopped

Saute the garlic and add the chopped tomatoes with a few leaves of basil.

Season with salt and pepper and cook over low heat.

When the tomato is cooked remove from heat, pass through a sieve and set aside the sauce.

Wash the eggplant, remove the stalk along with some eggplant, cut from tip to tip the skin should remain .

At this point cut the eggplant into cubes, then fry in hot oil and place them on absorbent kitchen paper and add the chopped mint.

Cook the pasta, mix it with tomato sauce and add the fried eggplant, a few pieces of basil leafs and a good sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese.


Melenzane Impanate (Breaded Eggplant)

Makes 4 servings:
  • 3 medium eggplants
  • 3 cloves of chopped garlic
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 small bunch of chopped parsley
  • 150 g bread crumbs
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 100 g of grated parmesan cheese
  • salt & pepper

Cut the eggplants in slices 1 cm thick lengthwise or crosswise, blanch them in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, place them on absorbent paper and dry them.

In a large plate place the bread crumbs, cheese, chopped parsley, chopped garlic, salt, pepper and mix together.

In a bowl put the eggs and beat vigorously.

Dip the slices of eggplant in egg and then press them from both sides on the bread crumbs mix.

Put in a frying pan a little olive oil, let it warm up, lay the eggplant and cook from both sides till golden brown.

Once cooked, place place them on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

Serve hot.


Parmigiana di Melanzane (Eggplant Parmesan)

Makes 8 servings:

  • 3 large eggplants
  • 300 grams of mozzarella
  • 750 grams of chopped fresh tomatoes
  • 4 cloves of chopped garlic
  • 8 basil leaves
  • 100 grams of grated parmesan cheese
  • 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste

Cut the ends on the eggplants and peel them. Cut into slices about half a centimeter thick. It is usually cut in length but if you’re not very skilled with the knife, cut into rounds, it is a little easier.

Arrange the eggplant slices in a large bowl, salting each layer. It should be around a heaping tablespoon of salt: better not to overdo it. Lay the eggplant on a plate with a weight on top, to accelerate the process of removing excess water.

After about an hour, squeeze the slices of eggplant with your hands to remove as much water as possible and dry them further in two tea towels.

Grease a large frying pan with just a little olive oil and let the aubergines cook until they are golden on both sides.

Pour a tablespoon of oil in a saucepan and fry the cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped, without taking color. Add the chopped tomatoes and, after 10 minutes when the sauce is more watery, turn off the flame. Combine the basil, salt and pass through a food blender.

Grease a baking dish and arrange a layer of eggplant, placing them side by side, without overlapping. No need to add salt as the eggplant always retain some salt from before.

Pour 2 tablespoons of sauce over the eggplant and spread it evenly with back of spoon. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan, without excess.

Cut the mozzarella into thin slices and add them over the sauce. Leave a bit of distance between them.

Do the same until all the ingredients. The last layer should be sauce, a little more abundant in this case, no cheese.

Pour the remaining oil on the surface and bake in the oven at 200 degrees (375°F) for about 45 minutes.


Pasta alla Norma

Makes 8 servings:
  • 600gr Rigatoni Pasta
  • 3/4 lb eggplant
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • 350 gr of canned tomatoes
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 8 basil leaves
  • 2 clove of garlic crushed
  • salt and pepper to taste

Cut the eggplant into cubes and lightly salt,put it aside to let any excess water out.

Put the olive oil in a frying pan and saute the onion and garlic.

Add the eggplant, tomato pulp, salt and pepper and cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted boiling water and when cooked, toss the rigatoni with the sauce.

Add the basil and grated parmesan cheese .


Sliced Rolled Eggplants Stuffed with Ricotta

 Makes 5 to 8 servings
  • 3 eggplants- Peel and slice lengthways about ½ inch thick
  • 1 1/2 lbs of fresh ricotta
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tablespoon of chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 4 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ lb. shredded mozzarella
  • ¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • 12 oz. can of peeled tomatoes
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 14 basil leaves
  • Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
  • 2 Tbsp of Dried Oregano

Slice and place the eggplants in a colander, salt lightly and set aside for about 20 minutes.

Rinse the sliced eggplant, and drain for a few minutes. Pat dry with a clean dish towel or you can use paper towels.

In a frying pan, heat ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil over a medium flame and fry the eggplants until they are golden brown. Place fried eggplants on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

Place the cooked eggplant in trays.

Preparing the tomato sauce.

In a small saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over a medium heat and sauté the garlic. When the garlic is golden brown remove it and discard.

Add the can of crushed tomato and cook for about 7 minutes. If sauce becomes to dry add a little water. Add salt and pepper to taste, cut and add 6 basil leaves and set aside.

Preparing the ricotta stuffing.

In a bowl, combine the fresh ricotta, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper to taste and mix it well.

Once the sliced eggplants have cooled, put a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture on top of each slice and spread it uniformly. On the middle of each slice place some mozzarella cheese, sprinkle with grated parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

Fold and roll up each slice, arrange the rolled eggplants in an oiled baking pan and cover the rolled eggplants with the tomato sauce that you prepared earlier.
Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Garnish with basil leaves and the dried oregano.


Eggplant Caviar

There are many, many variations of this recipe, some using dill or oregano, others using hard cooked eggs and no bell pepper. Some recipes call for the eggplant to be baked first. We think this version is easy to prepare and tastes great, but feel free to play with it to make it your own!

  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 pkg Eggplant (2 small) peeled and chopped
  • 1 28oz can Plum Tomatoes, drained and chopped
  • 1 cup Onion, chopped (we used red – any onion can be used)
  • ¾ cup Melange a Trois Bell Pepper Blend, chopped
  • 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Sauté onion about 5 minutes in 2 tbsp olive oil, until wilted. Add eggplant and sauté 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and simmer 5 more minutes to thicken, if necessary. Puree half the mixture, if desired, (we use an immersion blender.) Serve at room temperature or cold.