Egg plant Help?

tamikia87
tamikia87 Posts: 66 Member
in Recipes
I want to try egg plant, can someone please tell me how I know if it is a good one to purchase (certain color, hard, soft, what to look for), also what part of it do you eat? Is the skin ediable, do you peel it, is it seedy inside? More information would be great. Thanks so much.

Replies

  • TimeForMe99
    TimeForMe99 Posts: 309
    The best way to try a new veggie (IMHO) is roasted or grilled, so the true flavor comes through. Slice and brush with a bit of olive oil - not too much as eggplant is a sponge. Cook until tender. You also might try a stew such as ratatoulli, or a dip like babaganush, which is very soft eggplant blended with tahini, garlic, and oil. You'll find it in most stores with the hummus.

    We have grilled veggies a lot in the summer. I mix peppers, onions and squash together and toss in a bit of olive oil and fresh herbs. The eggplant is handled separately due to the bitter raw juice and the tendency to absorb more than it's share of oil.

    Try this link for info on buying, etc. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=22
  • dougp4158
    dougp4158 Posts: 2
    Sliced about a half to a quarter inch thick, dipped in egg, coated in Italian flavored bread crumbs and saute them in extra virgin olive oil until brown on each side. I like using a cast iron pan for this.
  • blink1281
    blink1281 Posts: 23 Member
    1 Eggplant
    3 tomatoes
    2 cloves garlic
    pepper to taste
    2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil

    Roast a whole eggplant in the oven for appro 40min at 375. Once the skin starts to pull away from the flesh and the skin starts to blacken it is ready to be taken out. Let cool and peel the skin from the eggplant and discard. Chop the eggplant into small pieces

    Chop tomatoes into small pieces

    In a skillet heat oil and add minced garlic. Add tomatoes and eggplant. simmer until tomatoes and eggplant start to breakdown. Add pepper to taste. When done it should look like a thick chunky pasta sauce. app 30-40min

    I serve it over rice or chicken. But it would be great w/ anything

    Enjoy!
  • penopoulos
    penopoulos Posts: 1
    i slice it in about 1/4-1/3 inch thick slices (trying to get them pretty uniform) and lay them on a cookie sheet covered with tin foil and brushed with olive oil. then i brush the tops of all the slices with a little oil and salt them. i bake them at 350 until they are super soft if i poke them with a fork. i cooked 2 big eggplants about a week ago and ive been eating them with spaghetti sauce and feta cheese on top all week. low cal and so so yummy :)
  • marinegirl92
    marinegirl92 Posts: 184 Member
    Try this Easy Peasy recipe - YOU WILL THANK ME!

    http://www.jaxhouse.com/2012/07/08/burnt-eggplant-with-tahini/ -

    Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty Cookbook!

    If pomegranates aren't in season - skip them; I use regular maple syrup and I didn't add in the tomatoes/cukes and it tasted just fine as a dip with veggies or pita chips
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
    There is no help for eggplant.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    When picking an eggplant, go for a smallish one-- sometimes the bigger ones are kind of grainy. It should be firm and shiny, and not have any wrinkles.

    Here's how I cooked mine tonight: I cubed the whole thing into ~1/2" cubes (skin and all), tossed it in a no-stick pan with about 1/2 cup of water, ~ 1 tbsp curry powder, and a couple of shakes of medium paprika, then covered it and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. The final texture will be kind of soft-- but I like it that way!

    Another favorite preparation for me is a cubed whole eggplant with 1 can of diced unsalted tomatoes simmered for about 20 minutes.

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