Eggplant Steaks With Sun Dried Tomatoes And Olives Recipes

TOMATO AND EGGPLANT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a medium (10 to 11-inch) pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the eggplant and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Add a little more olive oil if the eggplant is sticking.
• Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot, add the onions and fennel, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, stirring often. Add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, fennel seeds, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Pour the can of whole tomatoes, including the liquid, into a food processor and pulse until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes and the liquid to the pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot in large bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

EGGPLANT AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO SPREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
• Cut off and discard top of garlic head to expose cloves. Brush top of head with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Wrap garlic in foil and roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Cool to warm, then squeeze garlic cloves from skins into a small bowl, discarding skins.
• Meanwhile, cut eggplant into 1/2-inch pieces and toss with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large colander. Let drain 30 minutes. Squeeze eggplant in a kitchen towel to remove liquid.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté one third of eggplant until browned and tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Cook remaining eggplant in olive oil in same manner (in 2 batches), transferring to bowl.
• Add 1 cup cooked eggplant to garlic and coarsely mash together. Stir into remaining eggplant with sun-dried tomatoes (without tomato oil), parsley, basil, lemon juice, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Season with salt and drizzle with tomato oil.
• What to drink:
• Artezin Mendocino Zinfandel '07 or Château de Chamirey Mercurey Rouge '07

CHICKEN WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO, EGGPLANT AND BASIL

Steps:

• Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the eggplant halves in a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle with salt. Cover with a microwave-safe plate and cook on high for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a skillet over high heat, about 1 minute; transfer to a bowl and add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess. Add to the skillet and cook until brown on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chicken, add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Remove the eggplant from the microwave, cool slightly and slice into chunks. Reduce the skillet heat to medium-low; add the sun-dried tomatoes, eggplant, basil, nuts and chicken broth to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
• Transfer the chicken to plates; top each with ricotta and the eggplant mixture. Serve with the bread.

FLANK STEAK WITH BALSAMIC ROASTED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Put a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 450˚ F. Combine the eggplant, red onion, 1/4 cup olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes in a large bowl and toss to coat. Spread out on the preheated pan and roast, tossing once, until browned around the edges and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar; toss gently.
• Meanwhile, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water and a pinch of salt in a food processor or mini chopper. Pulse until mostly smooth (it should be the consistency of a thick pesto; if it's too thick, add more water 1 teaspoon at a time). Adjust the seasoning, if needed.
• Season the steak all over with salt, pepper and the herbes de Provence. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the steak and cook until well browned, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the other side, 4 to 5 minutes for medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board to rest 5 minutes.
• Toss the basil with the eggplant; season with salt, if needed. Divide among plates. Slice the steak, divide among the plates and top with the sun-dried tomato mixture.

ROSEMARY GRILLED TUNA STEAKS WITH EGGPLANT AND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat grill pan to high or preheat grill or charcoal. Coat tuna in balsamic and season with rosemary, salt and pepper. Drizzle fish with oil, coating lightly on both sides, about 2 tablespoons oil, total.
• Preheat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream. Add garlic, onion and saute 2 or 3 minutes. Dice the zucchini and squash while the onion begins to soften. Add the zucchini and squash to the pan and turn to coat and combine with garlic and onion.
• Slice eggplant into strips and dice, then add to the pan. Turn to combine all of the vegetables. Add thyme, salt and pepper to season the mixture. Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, 10 minutes, until vegetables are just fork tender.
• Grill tuna 2 to 3 minutes on each side for rare, up to 6 minutes on each side for well done.
• When tuna is done and vegetables are fork tender, stir chopped tomatoes into eggplant and zucchini mixture and remove vegetables from heat.
• Serve wedges of vegetable antipasto, above recipe, along side tuna steaks topped with vegetable salsa. Extra antipasto slices and vegetables should be passed at the table.
• A nice Sicilian rose, chilled, makes a fine beverage companion.
• 1 loaf crusty bread, 9 to 12 inches in length
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained, chopped -- 1/2 a small jar
• 1/4 cup black pitted calamata or oil cured olives, your preference, chopped
• 1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce
• 1/4 pound deli sliced provolone
• 1 jar, 16 to 18 roasted red peppers, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained
• 1 cup giardiniera, pickled vegetables (hot pickled peppers, cauliflower, carrots available on the Italian foods aisle of market or in bulk bins near deli section with bulk olives)
• Coarse salt and black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Cut the top off a loaf of crusty bread. Hollow out the inside of the bread.
• Mix parsley, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped olives and store bought or homemade pesto sauce. Spread the mixture evenly across the bottom of the hollowed out bread. Layer the cheese into the loaf. Layer the roasted red peppers on top of the cheese. Coarsely chop the drained artichoke hearts and add them in a layer over the red peppers. Sprinkle in the chopped hot pickled vegetables and drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil on top. Replace the top, cut the stuffed loaf into pieces and serve.
• Yield: 4 servings
• Prep Time: 10 to 15 minutes
• Cook Time: none
• Ease of Preparation: easy

EGGPLANT STEAKS WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• 1. Trim the ends from the eggplants and peel off the skin. Cut each eggplant lengthwise into four or more 1/2-inch-thick slices. (Some of the slices will be smaller than others, but all should be of equal thickness.) If needed, trim a thin slice from each of the rounded sides so the pieces will lie flat on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the slices with coarse salt and layer in a colander to drain for at least 30 minutes or for up to 2 hours. Rinse the eggplant slices under cold running water and dry well with paper towels, pressing to remove as much moisture as possible.
• 2. Preheat the broiler and position the oven rack about 4 inches from the heat. Line a large heavy baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the eggplant slices on the sheet in a single layer and brush both sides with oil. Broil for 7 to 9 minutes, turning once, until the eggplant is tender and lightly browned on both sides. Leave the broiler on.
• 3. Meanwhile, combine the goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives in a small bowl. Toss gently to mix. Divide the mixture evenly over the broiled eggplant slices. Sprinkle the Pecorino Romano cheese evenly over each slice and return to the oven. Broil for 1 minute, or until the goat cheese has softened and the grated cheese is just beginning to brown at the edges. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Scatter basil over the top of each slice and serve at once.