Roasted Eggplant Firecracker Rolls Recipes

EGGPLANT ROLL-UPS

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan over high heat. Thinly slice the eggplant, a minimum of 18 slices. Season with salt, pepper and grill seasoning blend. Grill the thin slices to tenderize the eggplant, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Combine the cheeses, black pepper and sun-dried tomatoes. Top each slice of cooked eggplant with a dab of cheese and some arugula and basil then roll up. The eggplant roll ups should have a few greens sticking out of both ends.

STUFFED ROASTED EGGPLANT ROLLS (GREECE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Arrange the eggplant slices in 1 layer onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roast until they are soft and pliable, about 15 to 20 minutes, turning them half way through the cooking time. Reserve the 4 largest rounds and finely chop the remaining eggplant.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions and season with salt. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Put the cooked onion and chopped eggplant in a large bowl. Add the feta, bread crumbs, kasseri, lemon zest, oregano, crushed red pepper, and garlic. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil and combine well. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
• Divide the filling among the 4 reserved eggplant rounds. Roll the eggplant around the filling and arrange on a serving platter with the seam side down.
• Combine the yogurt and mint together in a small bowl. Garnish each eggplant roll with a dollop of yogurt and serve at room temperature. OPAH!!!

EGGPLANT ROLLS WITH RICOTTA, WALNUTS AND MINT

Steps:

• Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Lay the eggplant slices on the rack, generously salting each slice (about 1/4 teaspoon per slice). Place another baking sheet on top of the eggplant and weigh it down with a few cans. Let them sit 30 minutes. Flip the eggplant slices, sprinkle with more salt, weigh down again and let them sit for another 30 minutes. (This draws out the bitter juices.) Meanwhile, toast the walnuts.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the walnuts on a small baking sheet and pop into the oven until the walnuts give off their nutty aroma and deepen in color, about 5 minutes. When they are cool enough to touch, chop them finely.
• Make the ricotta filling: Push the ricotta through a sieve into a medium bowl. This gives the cheese a light, airy texture. Add the toasted walnuts, garlic, mint, date, half the lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a swirl of olive oil. Stir together, taste for seasoning and then set aside.
• Rinse the eggplant slices well and pat them dry. Warm a grill pan over moderately-high heat. Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil on one side; place the oiled-side down on the hot griddle and brush the other side. Cook until browned, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook another 2 minutes.
• To assemble the rolls, place a couple of tablespoons of filling at one of end of a slice of eggplant. Roll and place on a plate seam-side down. Top the eggplant rolls with the remaining lemon juice, a swirl of extra-virgin olive oil and the reserved mint leaves, torn over the dish. Serve hot or at warm temperature.

ROASTED EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) ROLLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Brush 1 tablespoon of the oil on the sliced eggplant, and roast it until tender, about 15 minutes.
• Saute the onion in the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes (with the juice), and simmer for 15 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, spinach, mozzarella, basil, oregano, and garlic.
• Add salt and peper to taste.
• Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
• Spoon the cheese mixture on each slice of the eggplant, and roll up like a jelly roll.
• Place the eggplant in the dish.
• Continue until all the eggplant is used.
• Top with the tomato sauce, and bake for 30 minutes.

ROASTED EGGPLANT FIRECRACKER ROLLS

Steps:

• Cut the eggplant in half lenghtwise. Brush the exposed flesh with 2 tbs of the olive oil. Lay eggplant cut side down on a cookie sheet and roast in a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes, until the flesh side of the eggplant is nicely browned and the eggplant has softened and fully cooked. Remove from the oven and cool. When cool, use a large spoon to scoop the pulp away from the skin. Discard the skin. Heat the remaining 3 tbs olive oil in a large skillet and saute the onion and red pepper until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Do not allow the garlic to brown. Add the eggplant pulp to the mixture and cook for another 6-7 minutes until all the flavors have mingled and the eggplant has begun to brown in the saute pan. Add the cayenne, salt, pepper, cilantro leaves and bread crumbs, and mix well. Set aside to cool. Using 3 phyllo pastry sheets at a time, brush each sheet very lightly with melted butter and layer the sheets together. Cut the stack in half. Place 3 tbs of the eggplant mixture in a long thin strip in the center of each stack, so the phyllo can be rolled around it to form a cigar or firecracker shape. Roll the phyllo tightly, crimping the ends shut to seal in the filling. Repeat until all of the eggplant has been used. This will yield approximately 10-12 eggplant firecrackers. At this point, they can be held for up to 2 days, covered and refrigerated. To cook the firecrackers, saute in olive oil or lay them on a non-stick baking pan, and bake in a 375 degree oven until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Serve hot.