Category Archives: Recipes

A Classic Eggplant Parmigiana

Classic eggplant dish features eggplant and vine-ripened tomato slices topped with a tomato and dry white wine sauce featuring dried herbs, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic. The sauce, seasoned with dried basil, dried oregano, and fresh parsley goes amazingly well with the baked eggplant. Topped with mozzarella cheese, the dish is returned to the oven, and the cheese is melted golden brown.

Cook’s Notes:

Eggplant is available year round at supermarkets and specialty produce stores, with the peak season running from late summer to early fall.

Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients:

Nonstick Cooking Spray
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large Eggplant, peeled if desired, cut crosswise into 3/8 inch slices
Coarse Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste
1/3 cup grated Fresh Parmesan Cheese
2 Large Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup chopped White Onion
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, seeded, chopped
1 (8 ounces) package Sliced Mushrooms
2 Garlic Cloves, peeled, minced
1 (8 ounces) can Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup Dry Red Wine
1 teaspoon Dried Basil
1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
2 tablespoons chopped Fresh Parsley
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

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Mexican Style Eggplant Casserole

Roasted eggplant layered with homemade Mexican style tomato and chili pepper sauce featuring onions and black olives. Seasoned with cumin and garlic salt, the eggplant and spicy sauce are layered with cheddar cheese and baked in a hot oven until hot bubbling and brown on top. This Mexican style casserole can be served any time of day, as a main course, or as a compliment to an entrée. Perfect to enjoy year round, it is especially nice during the early fall when eggplant is in peak season, fresh, and often less expensive.

The eggplant slices can be salted, placed in a colander, and the excess moisture drained off. The process removes any bitterness that may be found in the slices. Pat the slices with a damp cloth and use as directed in the recipe. You can place the eggplant on paper towels while preparing other ingredients to remove additional moisture. Homemade tomato sauce really makes this dish shine. If you serve the casserole with sour cream, keep the sour cream refrigerated and drop a dollop of chilled sour cream on individual servings.

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Baked Eggplant With Onion, Tomato, and Bell Pepper

Eggplant has never been more popular at the dining table, enjoying a growing and loyal audience around the world. Eggplants come in many varieties, shapes, sizes, colors, textures and tastes. As supermarkets and farmers markets have expanded, new and different eggplant varieties have become readily available. Eggplant has a rich texture when baked, and absorbs the other flavors in the dish well.

Eggplant slices are layered with onion, tomato, bell pepper, celery, and green olives. Seasoned with dried oregano and saffron, and topped with a sauce featuring heavy cream, soy milk and cashews. The tasty eggplant casserole makes a nice side dish to fish or poultry. If serving sizes are doubled, the casserole makes a hearty vegetable entree that can be served with hot baked bread.

Baked Eggplant with Onion, Tomato, and Bell Pepper

Ingredients:

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Mediterranean Vegetable Lasagna

Eggplant and zucchini slices are combined with cherry tomatoes, red and yellow bell pepper, white onion, garlic, and baked until golden brown and tender. The roasted and seasoned vegetables are layered between lasagna noodles with a delicious white Parmesan cheese sauce, and shredded mozzarella cheese. Topped with additional cheese and baked until brown around the edges and sauce is bubbling.

Delicious served as a main dish, a side Greek salad with vinaigrette, pita bread and tzatziki sauce.

Mediterranean Style Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 Large Eggplant, skin rinsed and rough chopped into 1″ pieces
2 medium Zucchini, skin rinsed and rough chopped into 1″ pieces
1 pound Cherry Tomatoes, blanched and peeled
1 small Red Bell Pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small Yellow Bell Pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large White Onion, sliced and cut into 1″ squares
2 large Garlic Cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons Fresh Basil, leaves torn so that they stay quite visible
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2/3 cup Pitted Black Olives, chopped
2 tablespoons Capers, drained
3/4 cup Mozzarella, grated

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