Grilled Eggplant Towers With Tomatoes And Fetafrom Eating Well Recipes

GRILLED EGGPLANT TOWERS WITH TOMATOES AND FETA(FROM EATING WELL

Steps:

• .Heat grill to medium.
• Spread eggplant slices on 2 baking sheets or trays. Brush 1/4 cup oil over both sides of eggplant slices. Spray another baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange tomato slices onit.
• Season eggplant and tomatoes with pepper.
• Oil the grill rack. Grill the eggplant slices until browned and tender, 5 to 7 minutes per side.
• Set aside. Place the baking sheet with tomatoes on the grill rack; cover and grill until tomatoes are bubbling and warm, about 7 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Spray six 7-10 oz ramekins ar custard cups 9 about the sane size as eggplant slices) with cooking spray.
• Assemble the towers. Using a wide spatula, layer an eggplant slice, a tomato slice, and a basil leaf in each ramekin. Sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of feta. Repeat the layering once more, then top with an eggplant slice. Press down lightly.
• Place ramekins on a baking sheeet and bake until heated through and juices are bubbling around the edges. 25 to 35 minute.
• To serve, run a paring knife around the sides of each ramekin. Invert a plate on top and, grasping ramekins and plate with oven mitts, carefully invert the ramekins onto a plate. Very hot. Drizzle the tower with a little oiland garnish with basil sprig. Serve hot , warm or at room temperature.

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.

GRILLED EGGPLANT AND TOMATOES WITH CHERMOULA

Steps:

• Prepare a hot grill. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, sprinkle with salt and brush on both sides with olive oil. Cut the tomatoes in half, sprinkle with salt and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Grill the eggplant on both sides until soft and charred. Grill the tomatoes on the cut side until grill marks appear, turn and grill briefly on the other side.
• Transfer the grilled vegetables to a platter. Spoon chermoula over the top. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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.