Tag Archives: eggplant

Eggplant Curry

eggplant curryWhat to do with eggplant. Hmm. I had one more good sized eggplant in the box, and needed an idea. I happened upon a couple of eggplant curry recipes and decided to give curry a go. I also found this recipe for chicken curry at On My Menu. I really liked the flavor she was presenting. The curry had a lot of flavor; in fact, it was quite spicy. If you are not a big spicy food person, you might want to cut back on the heat.

Eggplant Curry
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3
 
Ingredients
  • 1 large eggplant, peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ground black pepper
  • 1 14 ounce can light coconut milk
  • ½ cup diced green chile
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
Instructions
  1. Place chopped eggplant in a bowl. Add salt and toss to combine. Place the eggplant in a strainer and put in a bowl or pie pan to collect fluid. Let the eggplant "sweat" for about an hour. Rinse and drain.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Saute eggplant for about 5 minutes, until softening. Season with pepper.
  3. Whisk together coconut milk, green chile, and spices. Pour into skillet and heat to a simmer. Continue simmering for about 5 minutes.
  4. Whisk cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Pour into curry and simmer a few more minutes, until the sauce thickens.
  5. Add cilantro to curry mixture. Serve over cooked rice.

I’m still looking for eggplant ideas; I’ve got more coming this week.

Happy eating!

Ruth

Glazed Chicken Shish Kabobs

shish kebobsThe eggplants in this box were bigger than we had been getting in our harvest boxes this year. My husband and I are not big eggplant fans, so I was a bit anxious about how I was going to handle them. I found this recipe on Cooks.com for shish kabobs, and decided to give it a go. The consistency of the eggplant was good, and the glaze made everything taste sweet. They turned out great!

Glazed Chicken Shish Kabobs
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
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Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup steak sauce
  • ½ cup honey
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1¼ teaspoon garlic powder, divided
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • dash of cayenne pepper
  • 1 pound chicken breast, cut in 2 inch by ½ inch pieces
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 2 green bell peppers, quartered
  • 1 medium onion, cut in large chunks
  • 3 golden zucchini or yellow squash, cut in 1½ inch chunks
  • 1 medium eggplant, cut in 1½ inch chunks
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, combine steak sauce, hone, vinegar, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Reserve ¾ cup.
  2. Allow the marinade to cool slightly, then place chicken breast into the marinade remaining in the saucepan. Marinate for 10 minutes. Preheat grill.
  3. While the chicken is marinating, combine tomatoes, pepper, onion, squash, and eggplant in a large bowl. Combine oil, onion powder, and remaining garlic powder. Pour over vegetables, and toss to combine.
  4. Alternately skewer vegetables and chicken on skewers. Grill over medium heat, brushing frequently with the reserved marinade.

What are your favorite fall foods?

Happy eating!

Ruth

Italian Turkey and Eggplant Pie

Italian turkey and eggplant pieWe got eggplant in our box again this week. I am glad that the eggplants we are getting this year are smaller than last year. (We are not big eggplant fans.) I found this recipe for an eggplant “pot pie” at allrecipes.com and thought it looked good. It was! My husband ate it leftover today for lunch, so he must have liked it. I adjusted the ingredients a little, substituting and adding to our taste.

Italian Turkey and Eggplant Pie
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups cubed eggplant
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ½ pound lean ground turkey
  • ½ cup onion, chopped
  • 1 rib celery, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • ⅛ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 unbaked deep dish pastry shell
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a medium skillet, saute eggplant in butter until tender, about 5 minutes.
  3. While the eggplant is cooking, cook ground turkey, onion, celery, and garlic in a large skillet until turkey is no longer pink. Add cooked eggplant, tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat.
  4. Prick pastry shell with a fork. Add turkey mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
  5. Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan over top of pie. Return to oven and bake 5-10 minutes longer, until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Please send me your suggestions for more things to do with eggplant.

Happy eating!

Ruth

Spicy Eggplant Chips

spicy eggplant chipsLast summer, we got huge eggplants in our box several weeks in a row. I always dreaded trying to find something to make with eggplant. When we got our first eggplant this year, I found this recipe for Eggplant Chips from What’s Gaby Cooking, and decided to try it. My first effort was not so successful, because I cut the eggplant too thickly. This time, I used the thinnest slicing blade on my food processor (2mm), and they were much better! The Cajun seasoning makes them taste great alone, or you can serve them with salsa.

Spicy Eggplant Chips
Recipe type: Snack
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 2 small eggplant
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (low sodium if you can find it)
Instructions
  1. Wash and peel eggplant. Slice eggplant with 2 mm blade of food processor.
  2. Place eggplant in a single layer on a parchment paper covered baking pan. Sprinkle with salt. Let sit 1 hour.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blot moisture from both sides of eggplant slices and return to pan.
  4. Mix olive oil and Cajun seasoning. Brush onto both sides of eggplant slices.
  5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Watch carefully to prevent burning.

I think I’m going to make these again, as a game day snack. With football season coming up, what are you planning to eat on game day?

Happy eating!

Ruth