Eggplant/aubergine recipes, any suggestions?

http://www.aubergines.org/recipes.php

Check this site out, theres 3117 eggplant/aubergine recipes, im sure theres a couple to suit you!

JM

Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Garlic Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

1 large or 2 small eggplants, weighing about 2 pounds

Salt

1/2 head of garlic

2 cups milk

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

3 branches thyme or 2 pinches of dried

2 Tbsp chopped basil or 1 tsp dried

1 bay leaf

3 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

2 Tbsp virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

1 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

8 ounces rigatoni

Instructions

Wash the eggplant, slice it into 1/2-inch rounds, slice the rounds into strips, then slice the strips into 1/2-inch cubes. Put them in a colander, toss them with salt, and set them aside for 30 minutes while you begin the sauce.

Peel the garlic; then mash the cloves until broken into a rough puree. Alternatively, chop the garlic very finely. Combine it with the milk, nutmeg, and herbs in a small pan and set over low heat. In another pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook it for several minutes over a low flame, then pour in the milk mixture all at once an whisk together. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, over the lowest possible heat, for 30 minutes. The taste of the garlic should soften and permeate the sauce. Stir in half the cheese.

While the sauce is cooking, boil the pasta in plenty of salted water until it is al dente. Pour it into a colander and immediately rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking, and set aside.

Rinse the eggplant briefly then pat it dry with a towel. Heat the oil in a wide skillet, add the eggplant, and toss it to distribute the oil. Cook over medium heat, frequently tossing the cubes until they are lightly browned and soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter or oil and 8- by 10-inch baking dish. Toss the pasta with two-thirds of the sauce and the eggplant. Pile the mixture into the dish, cover with the rest of the sauce and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake for twenty-five minutes or until the surface is bubbly and lightly browned. Let settle for a few minutes then serve.

Note: This recipe multiplies easily -- twice the amount will feed 8 to 10 people.

Yield: 4 servings

You know you can freeze eggplant for later use. Now I don't ue a vacuum food sealer and I cut mine in to chunks. But you will get an idea on how to do this. You can put all you will need in the freezer for later.

Ingredients and Equipment fresh eggplant - any quantity. I figure one medium sized eggplant per serving (it does cook down)

Vacuum food sealer or "ziploc" type freezer bags (the freezer bag version is heavier and protects better against freezer burn.

lemon juice (1/2 to 1 cup)

1 Large pot of boiling water

2 large bowls, one filled with cold water and ice.

1 sharp knife

Instructions

Step 1 - Get yer eggplant!

Start with fresh eggplant - as fresh as you can get. If there is a delay between harvesting and freezing, put it in the refrigerator or put ice on it. Harvest before the seeds become mature and when color is still uniformly dark

Step 2 - Wash the eggplant!

I'm sure you can figure out how to rinse the eggplant in plain cold or lukewarm water.

Step 3 - Peel and slice the eggplant

Just take a sharp knife and cut of both ends (about 1/4 of an inch, or half the width of an average woman's little finger). Then peel the eggplant =- an ordinary vegetable peeler works best.

Step 4 - Slice the eggplant

Slice 1/3-inch thick slices.

Prepare quickly, (if you leave it sit cut for more than a half hour, it will start to discolor). Do enough eggplant for one blanching at a time.

Step 5 - Get the pots ready

Get the pot off boiling water ready (about 2/3 filled), and add 1/2 cup of lemon juice to each gallon of water. Also get a LARGE bowl of ice and cold water ready to receive the eggplant after blanching.

Step 6 - Blanch the eggplant.

All fruits and vegetables contain enzymes and bacteria that, over time, break down the destroy nutrients and change the color, flavor, and texture of food during frozen storage. eggplant requires a brief heat treatment, called blanching, in boiling water or steam, to destroy the enzymes before freezing. Cook (blanch) the eggplant for 4 minutes.

Begin counting the blanching time as soon as you place the eggplant in the boiling water. Cover the kettle and boil at a high temperature for the required length of time. You may use the same blanching water several times (up to 5). Be sure to add more hot water from the tap from time to time to keep the water level at the required height.

Step 7 - Cool the eggplant

Remove the eggplants from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place in ice water to cool for about 5 minutes (until cold).

Cooling them quickly prevents overcooking. Keep adding more ice as needed.

Drain thoroughly (2 or 3 minutes)

Step 7 - Bag the eggplant

I love the FoodSavers (see this page for more information) with their vacuum sealing! I am not paid by them, but these things really work. If you don't have one, ziploc bags work, too, but it is hard to get as much air out of the bags. remove the air to prevent drying and freezer burn. TIP: If you don't a vacuum food sealer to freeze foods, place food in a Ziploc bags, zip the top shut but leave enough space to insert the tip of a soda straw. When straw is in place, remove air by sucking the air out. To remove straw, press straw closed where inserted and finish pressing the bag closed as you remove straw.If you want slices for frying later; pack the drained slices with plastic wrap between slices. That will help to keep them from sticking to each other. If the eggplant is very wet, after draining it, just put it in the food saver bag and freeze it (unsealed and upright) in your freezer. THEN, several hours later or the next day, when it is frozen, you can seal it with no mess!

Foodsaver vac bag

Ziploc bag

Step 8 - Done!

Pop them into the freezer, on the quick freeze shelf, if you have one!

Harvest the eggplant at its peak maturity (firm, not limp or old) Process promptly after harvesting, or keep cooled in the fridge or with ice until then.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can they be frozen?

It depends upon how cold is your freezer and how you packed them. Colder (deep freezes) are better than frost free compartments, which actually cycle above freezing (that's how they melt the ice). Vacuum packing results in longer storage capability, too. Thicker bags also help prevent freezer burn.

In general, up to 9 months in a ziploc bag in an ordinary freezer, and 14 months in a deep freeze in a vacuum packed bag.

nfd