Eggplant Ideas?

[LindaJay]

Help -- I love eggplant and primarily use it in making eggplant lasagna. Sometimes I just roast the slices in the oven with olive oil, but my favorite thing to do is lightly bread them in Keto Italian crumbs (and, true confessions, a little bit of real Italian crumbs -- that way I don't have to make separate batches for the rest of the family), but the problem is that I simply can't control myself around these cripsy slices of fried eggplant!

Sooo, I need some other ideas on what to do with my eggplant that keeps me try frying them up and scarfing them down! I've never made ratatouille, but that's certainly a possibility. I can't do any baba ganosh until I can smoke those suckers on the grill -- any ideas?

[JEC48]

I just made this last week and it was great.

Ingredients -

- fresh tomatoes
- bell pepper
- onion
- 1 small eggplant
- ground beef
- cheese (either cheddar or mozzarella)
- preferred spices

Just use your judgement regarding the amounts of each ingredient. Since I only needed a small amount I used only 1 lb. ground beef. Brown ground beef and drain. Peel eggplant and cut into chunks. Slice the bell pepper and onion. Saute those vegetables in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Slice tomato and put in the bottom of casserole dish. Pour sauteed vegetables on top of the tomatoes. Pour ground beef on top of the vegetables and top with favorite cheese. This was so good I ate it 4 days in a row. The eggplant really permeates the whole dish. It was yummy.

[JEC48]

Forgot to add, cook at 350 for 25-30 minutes till hot and bubbly.

[not2late]

Egplant rolls (OWL +)
Slice the eggplant lengthwise about 1/4 inch thick pieces. Rub them with about a 1 teaspoon of salt and let them sit in a colander for about 30 minutes. Rinse away the excess salt. Pat dry. Combine a pound or so of full fat ricotta with an egg, pepper, herbs or your choice and a cheese like parmesan or fontina. Take your eggplant strip. Spread a tablespoon or so of the ricotta mixture on it. Roll it like a jelly roll, or fold in half if you don't like rolling. Put them in a shallow baking dish. Cover with a 1/4-1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes. Bake until the eggplant is tender and cooked through.

If you don't want to roll or fold, smear the ricotta on the eggplant slices and layer them in a loaf pan.

No-fuss Ratatouille (Induction + ...just watch your veggie portions)
Equal parts of : eggplant, zucchini, tomato and onion cut into cubes.
Optional vegetables: celery cubes, turnip cubes, green beans, snap peas, etc.

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large baking dish, combine the veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss thoroughly. Bake uncovered for about 30-45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Finely mince a garlic clove and mince fresh herbs (dry can be substituted). Remove cooked vegetables and toss in the garlic and herbs, combine thoroughly. Add a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil. Serve warm or room temperature. Store leftovers in covered container in refrigerator. Tastes even better the next day.

Stuffed Eggplant (Induction +---just be aware of the veggie portions)
large eggplant
1/2 pound of ground meat or loose sausage meat
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 egg
2 ounces shredded or grated cheese of your choice
herbs and spices of your choice

Slice the eggplant lenghtwise. Remove the insides, leaving a 1/4 inch of the flesh near the skin to act as a cup. Chop the insides and set aside.

Sautee the ground meat with the onion and eggplant innards, until the mixture is cooked. Cool. Add the spices and herbs, cheese and the egg. Stuff into the eggplant halves. Top with extra cheese if you wish

Put in baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until everything is hot and bubbly. You might need to put a 1/2 cup of water in the bottom of the baking dish to prevent the eggplant bottoms from burning.

Eggplant Shrimp Toasts (Induction +---be mindful of the veggie amounts)
Medium sized eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch rounds*
1/3 cup chopped green part of green onions
1/4 to 1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 egg
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger root
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients, except the eggplant and green onion, into a food processor and process until well combined and smooth. Remove from food processor and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Mix in the chopped green part of green onions. Depending on the size of your eggplant rounds, spread 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of the filling on one side of the eggplant slice, slightly mounding it in the center.

Deep fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on a wire rack to remove excess oil. Serve immediately.

*Or use the Oriental eggplants if you want smaller toasts. You can use any meat if you don't like or don't have raw shrimp available.

[Desertthorn]

Yeah, use it for compost.
(Can you tell I hate eggplant?)

[LindaJay]

Thanks everyone! I am really interested in that shrimp toast one -- I've had a variaton on that in a dim sum restaurant where the eggplant was stuffed with the shrimp toast stuff -- but I think it was just baked -- and it had some sauce on it that I'm sure had sugar in it -- so I've been trying to think about a Atkins version!

The eggplant rolls and stuffed eggplants are a lot like the eggplant lasagna, so I've probably use those variations as well -- and I will certainly try the other combinations of casseroles and ratatouille!

[Heidi3]

make a low carb Thai curry!!!
I love eggplant and was so disapointed to find out it has little nutritional value!!! :anger ...it is so wonderful to cook with and tastes awesome

1 tbl oil
1 small sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot chopped
1 medium zucchini sliced in 1/4 inch thick diagonal slices
1 pound Japanese eggplant sliced the same size as the zucchini
1 can of straw mushrooms or fresh shitakes sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1-3 hot chillies, sliced (Thai style or serrano any hot chile will do)
14 ounce can coconut milk
3 tbl - 1/4 cup (I use 1/4 cup) green thai curry paste
3-4 kaffir lime leaves or lime zest if you can not find kaffir lime leaves
2 tsp. Splenda (I leave this out but am adding it if you like the sweetness)
2 tbsp. fish sauce (nam pla buy a good one it is worth it and should have nothing but anchovies and salt in it)
a big pile of chopped fresh basil leaves (preferably Thai basil)

In a good large skillet..., heat oil and add onions, garlic and chopped chillies and cook for 1-3 minutes.
Add the zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant and bell pepper to the pan, cooking until they are half-tender.
Add cocnut milk, curry paste, lime leaves, Splenda and fish sauce, stirring mixture until curry paste is smooth with the coconut milk.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are jjust cooked through.
serve in a bowl with the fresh basil on top ...I add a lime wedge for garnish....enjoy!!! :icondance :icondance :icondance

this recipe can and should be used for seafood curry as well :icondance :icondance I mix prawns, scallops and squid and leave off the eggplant but leave in the rest of the veggies...boneless chicken works well!!!...

[2big4mysize]

you can make eggplant caviar with oven roasted eggplant and garlic blended up with EEOV and used as a veggie dip or spread on low carb breads, or chips depending on what phase you are on. receipe is in the data base.
One word of warning since you love roasted eggplant roast extra when you want to make this as they don't all make it to the blender at my house.

[ButtrShots]

nurselady, thanks for the curry recipe. LOVE my curry you know. :yes



Kathy

[Heidi3]

Oh butter anytime curry is a safe healthy and best of all legal high!!!! :nod

[Heidi3]

you can make eggplant caviar with oven roasted eggplant and garlic blended up with EEOV and used as a veggie dip or spread on low carb breads, or chips depending on what phase you are on. receipe is in the data base.
One word of warning since you love roasted eggplant roast extra when you want to make this as they don't all make it to the blender at my house.

oh and make sure you poke a hole in the eggplant I forgot ONCE!!! and only ONCE it goes off like a shotgun and I could not find the eggplant it was nothing but a bit of skin and some shattered mess on the ove wall!!!

[2big4mysize]

oops you are supposed to cut the eggpplant in spears for roasting and bursh with olive oil sorry I figured anybody wanting the recipe would go to the data base and get it.

[Heidi3]

when I roast an eggplant and this is the traditional way my family did it you can either do it on a grill or bake it whole in the oven with holes poked in it ..I like it better because it gets so tender and all the flavor stays inside....you waste nothing unless you forget to poke it