Eggplant Relish Recipes

EGGPLANT RELISH

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add eggplant and tomatoes. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is very soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add vinegar, pine nuts, olives, raisins, sugar, and capers; cook (uncovered) over medium-low heat until vegetables begin to break down, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Transfer to a shallow bowl or a rimmed baking sheet; let cool completely. Stir in parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Relish can be refrigerated, covered, up to 5 days.

CAPONATA

Steps:

• Toss eggplant with salt, let drain: Toss the diced eggplant with about 2 tablespoons salt and put into a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate that just about fits the bowl and weigh it down with a heavy can. Let this sit for 1 hour. Drain the eggplant, rinse with fresh water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Cook onions, celery, garlic: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery, season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion begins to soften - about 5 minutes. Add the garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes more. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
• Sear the eggplant: Wipe the pan with a paper towel, turn the heat to high and add the remaining olive oil. Let this heat until the oil is nearly smoking. Add the eggplant and spread it out in as thin a layer as you can in the skillet. Let this sizzle for 1-2 minutes before stirring, then let it sit for a full minute before stirring again. Cook like this for 5-6 minutes.
• Combine with other ingredients: Add the onion-celery mixture, the tomatoes, olives, pine nuts, capers and red pepper flakes. Stir well. Add the vinegar, sugar and tomato paste and stir once more. Cook, stirring occasionally until eggplant is very soft, about 8 minutes.
• Let cool, add basil, salt, pepper: Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Mix in the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Caponata can be refrigerated, covered, up to 5 days.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA (SICILIAN VERSION)

Steps:

• Toss eggplant with salt and place in a colander set over a bowl. Let sit, about 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet. Add eggplant and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in celery mixture, tomatoes, olives, capers, tomato paste, and oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until caponata is thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Season caponata with vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley.

EGGPLANT-TOMATO RELISH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, stir together tomatoes, garlic cloves, cumin, and olive oil. Place eggplant on top of tomato mixture and roast until eggplant is very tender when pierced with a knife and tomato juices are thick, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool. Transfer eggplant to a cutting board and halve lengthwise. Scrape out flesh with a spoon (discarding as many seeds as possible); roughly chop flesh. Place in a large bowl. Peel and chop garlic and add to bowl. Stir in tomato mixture and red onion. Season with salt and pepper.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR RELISH

Steps:

• Place sliced eggplant in a colander in the sink. Sprinkle eggplant with 2 teaspoons salt. Let sit for 30 minutes to release any bitter juices. Rinse with cold water and dry on paper towels.
• Heat a grill pan to high heat. Place 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Brush eggplant lightly with olive oil and grill for 2 minutes, pressing down occasionally with a spatula. Turn each slice, without flipping, and continue grilling for 2 more minutes to form beautiful grill marks. Flip eggplant and repeat this process on the other side. Remove grilled eggplant to a serving platter.
• Whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Add tomato and mix well. Pour over the grilled eggplant.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH EGGPLANT RELISH

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler and line a broiler pan with foil. Broil the frying peppers, jalapeno, eggplants, scallions and garlic on the foil until charred, about 3 minutes per side. Cover with a damp towel to cool, then peel the peppers and eggplants. Squeeze the garlic from its skin. Roughly chop the vegetables and garlic and toss in a bowl.
• Season the pork with the cumin and salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork; cook, turning, until golden, about 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, turning, until a thermometer inserted into the center registers 150 degrees F, about 8 more minutes. Set the pork aside.
• Add the lemon juice to the skillet, then add the eggplant mixture and paprika; warm through. Season with salt and pepper and add the parsley. Slice the pork; serve with the eggplant relish and garnish with paprika.

MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT RELISH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F with racks in middle and upper third.
• Halve eggplant lengthwise and roast, cut sides down, in a 4-sided sheet pan in middle of oven until tender, about 25 minutes. Cool.
• Turn on broiler.
• Halve peppers lengthwise, then stem and seed. Coat outsides of peppers with olive oil, then broil, cut sides down, in 4-sided sheet pan 3 to 4 inches from heat until well charred, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let stand, covered, 15 minutes. Peel peppers and coarsely chop.
• Scrape flesh of eggplant into a bowl, discarding skin. Stir in peppers, remaining ingredients (including 2 tablespoons oil), and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

EGGPLANT RELISH

Steps:

• Prehaet oven to 375°F.
• In a nonreactive saucepan, combine raisins and vinegar. Bring to boiling; remove from heat, cover; set aside.
• With tip of knife, pierce eggplant in 5 or 6 places. Place on foil-lined baking pan. Roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until eggplant is soft to touch and collapsing. Remove from oven; cool in baking sheet. When cool enough to handle, chop eggplant; set aside.
• Cook onion and pepper in hot oil 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in jalapeno, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook and stir 3 minutes. Stir in raisin-vinegar mixture, eggplant, tomato and honey. Bring to simmer and cook 5 minutes; cool.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• To serve, let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Stir in parsley.
• Serve with toasted baguetes slices.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH FETA RELISH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk vinaigrette and garlic powder until combined. Stir in feta, cucumber, tomato and onion. Refrigerate, covered, until serving., Brush eggplant with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat 4-5 minutes on each side or until tender. Top eggplant with feta mixture. If desired, sprinkle with basil.