Category: Eggplant

This simple sauce is lovely with eggplant. You can saute, broil or grill the eggplant. Sauteing is the quickest method. The sauce will make a little more than you need for this recipe but it keeps well and is good on noodles, rice, meats, etc.  ... Read more »

A tian is typically a baked vegetable dish, usually with thinly sliced vegetables layered in fun patterns. This is a stove-top version ripe for variations for both herbs and cheese. If you have a couple of beautiful tomatoes and an eggplant and a bunch of parsley you're set.   This is not a tightly packed tian, like many are, but it's fairly quick to make and delicious. ... Read more »

The cumin, red wine vinegar and mint play very nicely with the roasted eggplant for a superb salad.... Read more »

This is savory, complex and delicious and uses Thai red curry paste to create a lot of flavor quickly. You can serve it over potatoes instead of rice.   Variation Green beans would be a wonderful addition here. Add them at the same time you add the tomato sauce and coconut milk. If you don't have time to make tomato sauce and have fresh tomatoes, add fresh, chopped tomatoes to the curry paste after you've fried it for a few minutes and let reduce a bit before adding the eggplant and remainder of the coconut milk. Use green curry paste if you don't have red  ... Read more »

Eggplant is quickly transformed in a hot skillet and then paired with cool, garlicky yogurt for one of the simplest, most delicious dishes I know.  If you have a tomato by all means add it, it adds a bit of moisture and both sweetness and acidity.... Read more »

This late summer dish is warmly spiced and can easily be made into a meal by adding a few cups of chickpeas, or some crumbled sausage or eggs cracked and cooked right into the vegetables. Or enjoy as is with the spiced yogurt and some good bread. And feel free to change the ratio of eggplant to tomato based on what you have and scale up or down as needed. And if you don't have harissa (a paste of peppers and spices) you can adapt--see below.... Read more »

All the dishes on this site with frikeh (parched green wheat) have yogurt in common. I must branch out but it is a lovely combination.  Frikeh is parched green wheat. It is smoky, chewy and delicious. You can substitute regular wheat berries, farro or barley or even small green lentils (that keep their shape when cooked) for the frikeh in this dish. Consider adding a little smoked paprika (pimenton) if you are not using frikeh to intimate that smoky flavor.   Frikeh is often sold cracked, rather than in whole kernels, in grocery stores and cooks more quickly in that form and has a much finer texture and increases in volume from dry to cooked more than the whole kernels. Adjust quantities and cooking times as needed. ... Read more »

This is a quick, savory side dish. I added a few onions to the roasting pan this time. You could add summer squash, peppers and even tomatoes if you'd like. The dressing is quite strong and you'll likely not need all of it so use it on any grilled meat or tofu or on cold noodles.... Read more »

This smoky dish of roasted eggplant, pureed with tahini, garlic and lemon is one of my favorite dishes. It's good with/on most anything. And if you have a decent broiler you can have this on the table in about 30 minutes.  If your broiler is no good you can just roast them at high heat. You can alternatively cook the eggplants on the barbecue and get a nice smoky flavor.   You can also use summer squash in stead of or in combination with eggplant for a delicious variation, using the exact same process though you can of course skip the peeling part.  ... Read more »

There are many variations on this theme, most use mozzarella or another gooey cheese. I made these when I had just one medium-sized globe eggplant to use. It comes together quickly and is good hot and at room temperature.  ... Read more »

--adapted from World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey   A choka is a dish from Trinidad but with heavy Indian influence and is made with a variety of vegetables. Roasting (preferably over fire--but in a hot oven in my case) is a typical characteristic of chokas. This one is fresh, savory and bright and delicious with rice or bean dishes or with flat breads or chips even--as a side or salsa.... Read more »

I roast vegetables (or broil them) occasionally, but I particularly love this combination and this level of heat and all the herbs. That's not to say that you can't substitute summer squash (or eventually winter squash) and cabbage or other veggies here. I made this to use up random bits--one small eggplant, one fennel bulb--from my CSA so use what you have on hand. [caption id="attachment_6375" align="aligncenter" width="640"] A dinner of vegetables, corn on the cob, salad with creamy miso dressing and roasted vegetables with herbs.[/caption]... Read more »

  I love the time of year when I can make ratatouille, when sweet peppers, eggplant, summer squash and tomatoes are all at their peak--usually beginning early August and lasting until mid-to late September. In my cook-with-what-you-have version quantities are easily adapted and the ratios are not critical so scale up or down as needed. It is important to cook some of the vegetables separately so that you don't crowd the pans and steam them rather than sautéing them. You want the browning and sweetness that comes with direct contact with the hot skillet.   It is a rich, stew-like dish in which the vegetables all break down a bit. It is not beautiful but it is GOOD! Serve with some good crusty bread, another salad, a frittata or some such. It’s even better the next day and delicious at room temperature as well.... Read more »

  This is so good! I can eat the whole dish by myself. Serve it as a side or with rice.  ... Read more »

Fun, messy and delicious sandwiches! ... Read more »

This is a gently spiced stew that improves on day two.   ... Read more »

Like a few other dishes on this site, I learned this in Calabria, in Southern Italy. This is served with good crusty bread (almost like a spread) and eaten with a green salad and a chunk of cheese or some cured meats as a simple supper on hot days. This is a very spicy dish that I make far tamer than they do in Calabria. In Calabria it takes on a reddish/pink hue from all the Calabrian peperoncini that are used to season it. Adjust the heat to your liking. You can start with ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes and move up from there. And you can certainly use fresh or dried cayenne peppers or other hot peppers.... Read more »

These are particularly fun to make with the slender Japanese eggplant. Whether or not you make this tahini yogurt sauce, grilling eggplant in rounds is an easy thing to do and you have it and snack to spread with tomato sauce and cheese and broil or chop up and add to salads or use however you see fit. It’s delicious in myriad ways. ... Read more »

Classic and lovely and not as complicated or time consuming as it might seem. I rarely salt and drain eggplant. It’s an extra step that I don’t find necessary with perfectly fresh eggplant. You can either bake the eggplant or pan-fry it in just a little oil. I like both versions and usually do the below, stove-top version because I'm always in a hurry and it's quicker. You can also swap zucchini, see below, for the eggplant. [caption id="attachment_21596" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Or make it with zucchini instead![/caption]... Read more »

--adapted from Tender by Nigel Slater   My version of this fragrant, rich stew is significantly simplified but still involves a few steps and a bit of time.  You can break up the process and make it manageable and I think you will enjoy the resulting dish for several days or freeze some for a future meal.... Read more »