Eggplant Gazpacho Recipes

EGGPLANT GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 F. Drizzle cut side of each eggplant half with 1 Tbsp. oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place eggplant, cut side down, on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until very tender, about 1½ hours. Cool. Discard large seed pockets. Scoop flesh into bowl; discard skins. Set eggplant aside. Place tomatoes in processor; using on/off turns, process to coarse puree. Strain pureed tomatoes into large bowl and press on solids in strainer to measure 1½ cups tomato juice aside. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until onions are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Add cumin and cayenne pepper; stir 1 minute. Add yogurt, lemon juice, and tahini; stir, scraping up browned bits. Remove from heat. Stir in eggplant. Place half of eggplant mixture into blender. With blender running, gradually add ¾ cup tomato juice, then 1 cup water. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Divide chilled gazpacho among bowls. Drizzle gazpacho with extra-virgin olive oil and serve. *Sold at some supermarkets and at natural foods stores and Middle Eastern markets.

SICILIAN STYLE SPAGHETTI AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Slice the eggplants into 1/4-inch rounds. Toss them with 1/4 cup olive oil and some salt and pepper. Grill them until marks have formed and they are soft, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place them onto a paper towel lined platter. Scatter over 2 cloves of sliced garlic, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the lemon juice, put on a few torn basil leaves, and season it all with salt and pepper. Set aside while you make the sauce.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Cook the onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chile, garlic, olives and a few hand-torn basil leaves. Carefully add the tomatoes and a pinch of sugar; cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes. Add the capers, taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm.
• Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the spaghetti. Stir to make sure the pasta doesn't stick. Cover and return to a boil. Remove cover and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until the spaghetti is al dente. Drain and add the spaghetti to the tomato sauce. Add the cheese and mix well. Pile onto a platter and top it with the eggplant slices. Garnish with more basil leaves.

SPICED LAMB-STUFFED EGGPLANTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, including the stems. Using a sharp paring knife, scoop out some of the flesh, leaving a shell that is 1/3 inch thick and reserving the scooped-out eggplant. Place the eggplant shells snugly in a single layer in a large (10-by-14-inch) rectangular baking dish. Brush the eggplant all over with 1/4 cup olive oil (use it all!) and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour 1/4 cup water in the baking dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes, until the shells are tender when pierced with a small knife. Remove from the oven, discard the foil, and leave the oven on.
• Meanwhile, for the lamb filling, in a large (12-inch) skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until tender. Cut the reserved scooped-out eggplant into 1/2-inch dice (you should have about 2 cups). Add the eggplant to the onion and cook for 5 minutes, adding more oil if it seems dry. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the ground lamb and cook, mashing lightly with a fork, for 5 to 7 minutes, until no longer pink. Add the oregano and cinnamon and cook for one minute. Add the wine, tomatoes, marinara, parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the liquid evaporates. Spoon the filling into the eggplant halves in the baking dish. (You may have a little extra filling.)
• In a medium bowl, mash the ricotta, goat cheese, egg yolks, mint, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper with a fork. With a spoon, place large dollops of the ricotta mixture on the lamb filling and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling is hot and the topping is lightly browned. Serve warm, sprinkled with extra mint.

EGGPLANT GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake eggplant on a small sheet tray for 35 minutes. After cooked, cut in 1/2, scrape out the flesh and place in a small bowl.
• In a small pan over medium heat, add olive oil and onion. Saute onion until just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add 2 large pieces of garlic. Cook for another 5 minutes and add cumin. Cook 5 minutes more. Remove from heat. Combine onion and cooked eggplant in a blender or food processor. Add lowfat yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, tomato water, salt, pepper, and a few drops of hot sauce. Blend until smooth. Strain and adjust seasoning.
• Place in a container, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Place tomatoes in food processor or blender and puree. Place cheesecloth into a colander over a bowl. Pour tomato liquid into cheesecloth. Place in the refrigerator and let tomatoes drip overnight. Remove the tomato water from the bowl and reduce it by half over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Store in covered in the refrigerator. Remove solids from the cheesecloth and reserve for another use.
• To Serve:
• Remove gazpacho from refrigerator. Take a vegetable of your choice such as carrots and steam or saute until cooked. You can use various vegetables if you desire. Place 2 tablespoons of diced, steamed vegetables at the bottom of the bowl. Pour in the gazpacho and serve with Beet Chips, if desired, on the side (see Duck Beets recipe).