Char Grilled Eggplant Roasted Tomato Salad W Feta Cheese Recipes

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH MARINATED FETA

Steps:

• Slice 2 eggplants 1/2 inch thick; lay on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and let sit 10 minutes, then pat dry. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil with 1 grated garlic clove in a saucepan, 1 minute. Stir in 1 tablespoon each chopped oregano and parsley, 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Let cool; pour over 4 ounces crumbled feta. Brush the eggplant with olive oil; grill over medium-high heat, 5 minutes per side. Top with the feta.

EGGPLANT WITH MARINATED FETA

Steps:

• Toss 2 Japanese eggplants (cut into 2-inch pieces) with 1 cup grape tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper. Bake at 500˚ F, turning once, until tender, 12 to 14 minutes, then broil until charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Mix 3 ounces diced feta, 2 tablespoons each olive oil and lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chopped oregano, 1 sliced garlic clove and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve over the eggplant mixture.

GRILLED EGGPLANT AND FETA CHEESE SALAD (BOBBY FLAY)

Steps:

• Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to high.
• Brush the eggplant with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill until soft, with visible grill marks, about 4 minutes on each side. Cut into 4 inch cubes.
• Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, garlic, chile powder, oregano, and vinegar in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggplant and red onion, toss to coat with dressing, season with salt and pepper, and crumble feta cheese over the top.

GRILLED EGGPLANT STACKS WITH TOMATO AND FETA

Steps:

• Blend basil with oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in blender until finely chopped. Pour into a paper-towel- or coffee-filter-lined sieve set over a bowl and let drain 20 minutes. Gather together sides of towel or filter and press gently on it to extract more oil. (You will have a generous 1/3 cup oil.) Reserve 1 tablespoon basil oil separately for serving. Scrape basil solids into a small bowl and reserve.
• Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas); see "Grilling Procedure," below.
• While grill heats, cut off bottoms of eggplants, then cut 6 (1/2-inch-thick) crosswise rounds from each, starting from cut end. Reserve remaining eggplant for another use. Cut 4 (1/3-inch-thick) rounds from large tomato and 2 center slices (1/3 inch thick) from each medium tomato, reserving remaining tomato for another use.
• Lightly brush eggplant rounds on both sides with basil oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Grill on a lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over occasionally, lightly brushing eggplant with more basil oil occasionally if it looks dry, until eggplant is very tender, 6 to 10 minutes. (Leave gas grill on.)
• Make stacks:
• On baking pan, arrange 4 largest eggplant rounds side by side and spread each with a generous 1/2 teaspoon of reserved basil solids, then top each with 1 of 4 largest tomato rounds. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper and top each with about 1 tablespoon feta. Make another layer with medium-size eggplant rounds, basil solids, medium tomato rounds, salt, pepper, and feta, then top with remaining eggplant and feta.
• Set baking pan on grill and cook stacks, with grill cover closed, until heated through and cheese on top is softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer stacks to 4 plates and drizzle plates with reserved basil oil.
• Grilling Procedure
• If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. When charcoal turns grayish white (about 15 minutes from lighting), hold your hand 5 inches above grill rack to determine heat for charcoal as follows:
• Hot: When you can hold your hand there for 1 to 2 seconds
• Medium-hot: 3 to 4 seconds
• Low: 5 to 6 seconds
• If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then, if necessary, reduce to heat specified in recipe.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH TOMATOES, BASIL, AND FETA

Steps:

• Generously season eggplant slices with salt. Place vertically in a colander, overlapping them. Let stand 30 minutes; rinse and pat dry.
• Preheat grill to medium-high. Liberally brush cut sides of eggplant with oil. Grill, turning once, until tender, about 4 minutes a side. Mix tomatoes, pine nuts, feta, red-pepper flakes, and oil; season with salt. Spoon over eggplant; top with basil.

CHAR-GRILLED EGGPLANT & ROASTED TOMATO SALAD W. FETA CHEESE

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
• Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise, and place on a baking tray, cut side up. Season well, and drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Place them on the top shelf of the oven and roast for 50 -60 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool.
• While the tomatoes are cooling, cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices and lay them on a board and lightly sprinkle them with salt on both sides. Leave them for 20 minutes to draw out some of the moisture and bitterness. Blot them with paper towels.
• Brush them on both sides using 1 Tbsp of the olive oil and season with black pepper.
• Brush the grill pan with ollive oil and place it over a high heat, then, when it is very hot, cook the eggplant in batches for about 2 1/2 minutes each side.
• Pour the remaining 6 Tbsp olive oil into a large flat bowl, add the basil and balsamic, and toss in the cooked eggplants, coating well. Leave them to marinate.
• When you're ready to serve, divide the salad greens between 4 plates and arrange the tomatoes and eggplant alternately all around. Then place equal quantities of the feta in the middle of each salad and drizzle with the remaining marinate. Finally, put 1 Tbsp of creme fraiche on top of each salad and spinle with a little paprika.
• As you can see, this has some room for playing around with. You could certainly use more feta if you wish, or omit the salad greens -- We never did use the creme fraiche, just cuz after that extra glass of wine, we forgot it! But it was still amazing.