Eggplant Casserole

This dish was not very photogenic. Since it wasn't much to look at, I didn't take any pictures of it when it came out of the oven. After eating it, though, I wished I would have taken some anyway. It was really good (right out of the oven as well as reheated as leftovers) and I think people always like to see what the finished product looks like, even if it's not fancy food porn all the time. Some foods are not really that good looking, but we all know that has nothing to do with how they taste.

Now, that being said, this wasn't a groundbreaking dish, it was just a simple weeknight dinner that was satisfying and healthy. (Disclosure: I am desperately in love with eggplant, so I may have liked this more than the average person.) This recipe is loosely based on one from Meals in Minutes.

Eggplant Casserole
~Print Recipe~

• 2 medium eggplants, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 1 large onion, chopped
  
• 3 cups marinara sauce (we used low-sodium, but I think a garlicky sauce would be good)
• Grated mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with nonstick spray. Lay the eggplant in a single layer and spray with nonstick spray. Broil until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip eggplant slices over, spray with nonstick spray and broil until the other side has browned, about 4 minutes more.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and mushrooms are browned. 
3. Spread 1 cup sauce evenly on the bottom of an 11x14 inch baking dish. Add half of the onion and mushroom mixture evenly over sauce. Sprinkle lightly with cheese. Add eggplant rounds, overlapping slightly to cover dish entirely. Add another light layer of sauce, then the rest of the onion/mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with more cheese. Add another layer of remaining eggplant, then finish with more sauce and top with another layer of mozzarella. 
4. Bake about 20 minutes or until sauce is heated through and the cheese has browned. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
   

Iron Chef: Farmer's Market

Tonight I had a little competition (by myself), Iron Chef style. I realized I had a bunch of really gorgeous produce and no idea what to do with it all before it went bad. So I made up a few things, and tried a few things for the first time, and it came out pretty darn good. This is apparently what happens when I have to cook by myself. If you live within a one mile radius of me, you've probably realized I hate cooking and eating by myself, so this was a fun alternative. The only thing missing was Alton Brown's narrative.

Secret Ingredient: Eggplant

Optional Ingredients: Onion, egg, bread, cheese, parsley, broccoli, potatoes, tomatoes, yogurt, honeydew melon, peaches, pears, vinaigrette, salt and pepper

The Theme: Layering

Timeline: 30 minutes

Play-by-play:

I started by washing and slicing the eggplant in thick slices, then salting it heavily to rest - because that's what Michelle says to do with eggplant.

Then I pre-heated the oven to 400 degrees, washed the chopped broccoli, and placed it in a baking dish with the tomatoes from my garden. I tossed with vinaigrette and salt and pepper with dill. Once heated, I baked for 20 minutes.

I sliced and plated the honeydew.

I preheated my George Foreman Grill. Once heated, I grilled the eggplant tossed in vinaigrette and pepper. (I should have sliced them thicker for the GFG to work better.)

I heated my mini cast iron skillet and melted butter. I added the chopped onions I had chopped a few days ago, and sauteed them. Then I added two eggs on top, sunnysideup style, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and topped with parsley. Covered with lid and let cook/bake for 5 minutes. Then sliced cheddar cheese.

Once everything was done cooking, I plated two slices of eggplant, topped them with the sliced cheese, and added the onion/egg/parsley on top - which melted the cheese. Broccoli and tomatoes went on the side with the honeydew. It was all very delicious, and felt complete, since everything was cooked so differently (raw fruit - roasted veggies - grilled eggplant and baked egg). The eggplant was the most surprising, it turned out fabulous in the GFG.

Spicy Eggplant Stir Fry

A few days ago, I was really craving eggplant--it's so rich and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I searched the internet for a recipe that looked easy and that didn't smother the eggplant in cheese. I found a stir-fry type recipe at allrecipes.com that got some rave reviews. The nice thing about that website is that if a dish is good, people will leave comments saying so--no guess work. They also put tips they used (or should have used) to make the dish even better. I usually take the recipe and the user comments and then add to it or tweak it to suit my taste or on-hand ingredients. I've been consistently satisfied with the results.

Spicy Eggplant Stir Fry

~Print Recipe~ 

• 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil 
• 2 long Chinese eggplants, cubed (I went to Safeway and could only find the plump regular kind, so I went with that)
• 1 onion chopped into bite-sized chunks
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized chunks
• Any other veggies you want
• 4 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce/tamari
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 green chili pepper (as spicy as you desire), finely chopped
  
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 teaspoons corn starch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili oil (you can substitute chili sauce, red pepper flakes, etc for some heat)
• Salt to taste
  

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and saute for a couple of minutes. Add minced garlic and other veggies and saute until cooked--the eggplant will become tender and start to brown in 5-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, red wine vinegar, chili pepper, sugar, corn starch and chili oil.
3. Add sauce to the stir fry, stir to coat evenly and cook until the sauce thickens.
   
4. Serve with rice.

*Many comments suggested adding pork or chicken to this dish. One of the nice things about this recipe is you can pretty much add or subtract anything you like. People tried it with potatoes, green onions, fish sauce, Sriracha, cashews--you name it.
*The sauce originally called for 1/3 the amounts shown here, but all of the comments said to make more sauce; I doubled it, and then found I needed even more.