Posted on 08/02/2020 5:01:12 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I’m a fan of eggplant. It’s commonly said that eggplant hasn’t much taste, but soaks up other flavors; but I like its own taste.
I think I’ve posted this before, and can’t remember where I found it; but it’s one of my favorite things to do with eggplant – if you also like tahini, you’ll enjoy this:
ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH TAHINI DRESSING
2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/4 pounds total), trimmed and halved lengthwise
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
DRESSING:
3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons hot water
1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
For Eggplant: Heat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (It helps to first sprinkle the eggplant halves with salt, and let them "drain", flesh side down, in a large colander for about 30 minutes before roasting. This helps to reduce the moisture content of the dish.)
Put eggplant pieces on prepared baking sheet, flesh-side up. With the tip of a sharp knife, score flesh, about 3/4 inch deep, here and there, or in a 'grill-mark' sort of grid. Season eggplant with salt and pepper, and drizzle with oil. Roast, rotating pan once halfway through, until eggplant flesh is soft and collapsed and edges are deep golden, 35 to 40 minutes.
Dressing:
While eggplant is roasting, in a bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Remove eggplant from oven and sprinkle with salt.
Transfer to serving plates, drizzle with half of the dressing and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with remaining dressing.
**********************************************
Another thing to do with eggplant is Caponata, great with a good crusty loaf of Italian bread; this recipe is from Martha Rose Shulman:
https://therecipefile23.blogspot.com/2017/03/caponata-martha-rose-shulman-yield.html?m=1
*********************************************
While we were waiting to see the SpaceX splashdown today, I found a couple of fun things on YouTube.
This is National Geographic’s interview with WWII veteran Richard Arvin Overton of Texas, who was 109 years old at the time this video was made; he lived to be over 112 by the time he passed (video is about 12 minutes long):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXyfCGDnuWs
And this is a very sweet man serenading his donkey (very short):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu-yDS6IVB4
LOL!
The only things I’ve had a real taste for - and have enjoyed - are:
Grilled Cheese Sammies
Pizza - any kind, from anywhere
That Spicy Chicken sandwich from Popeye’s
Thank you. Question.....would you mist them w/ olive oil if you were baking them? And do you keep the skins on or off?
I like eggs.
I like plants.
But nope, i don’t like...
Go to PressureLuck on YouTube. He has some great recipes for the Instant Pot. I bought his cookbook which has a lot plus you can get many of them from his website. I’ve enjoyed mine. Makes GREAT cheesecake!
You also have to buy the right eggplant. There are “males” and “females”, and you want ‘dots (male), not slots (female)’. The so-called ‘females’ have lots more seeds, and are more bitter.
https://aliceswintersong.com/2008/07/10/choosing-the-best-eggplant-boy-or-girl/
https://food-recipes4u2oku.blogspot.com/2018/01/eggplant-escabeche-second-best-way-to.html
LOL!
Thank you!!
We like Giada’s recipe. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/eggplant-rollatini-recipe2-1913538
So times it is called involtini instead of rollatini. I’ll look for that recipe we liked and post it too.
My recipe for regular pot roast is to salt and pepper the roast and brown it well in the Instant Pot on both sides. Remove and set aside, then in the pot saute' chopped onions and carrots for about 5 minutes then add chopped garlic and celery and saute' a few minutes more. Add a few tablespoons of tomato paste and cook for a few more minutes. Next add a cup of red wine with 2 bay leaves and a teaspoon of dried thyme. Cook for a few minutes then pour in 2 cups beef broth and stir. Add back the pot roast and settle it into the mixture. Put on the lid, seal and pressure cook on high for 60 minutes. Do a natural release for 15 minutes then a quick release. Take out the roast and either simmer the gravy until reduced or use a beurre manie (butter and flour mixture) or a cornstarch slurry to thicken. Serve with mashed potatoes or noodles. The meat turns out every bit as tender as if you had cooked it four hours! This was the reason I told my hubby we needed to get the IP. Look at all the time I can save! ;o)
Jeffrey from Pressure Luck also has a good recipe for pot roast HERE.
I have made both of these. I try a new recipe every few weeks. lol I’m searching for the best recipe
Https://www.slowburningpassion.com/how-to-make-eggplant-involtini-to-die-for/
https://simply-delicious-food.com/eggplant-involtini/
I’ll ask the Husband Unit, and let you know. He’s the ‘meat chef’ in this house.
I do think he goes easy on the peppers.
I always remove the skin. I wonder if it’s like it is with some cucumbers -— you know, the old wives tale about always cutting off a particular end, before peeling it, or it will be bitter? (Can’t remember which end it is, but you rub the cut surface against the cut off end, and it sort of suds up a little, which you then wash off).
Thank you! A new recipe to try!
I never knew that but I think I must very often pick males, quite by accident.
Sometimes when you go to the store, all that are left are males. Other folks got there before you :-)
OMG!! You tried my soup recipe!!!
Baking....I think so. I peel them.
I did not plant eggplants this year, but we have lots of tomatoes coming in all at once. No way we can eat them all - my SIL is giving her extra produce to the fire station guys up the road & we’ve given some to neighbors. We still have too many so it may be “salsa” time. This is the recipe I’ve used for a couple of years - it’s for canning; however, you can also just freeze it - delicious either way. You can use fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes or a combo. This stuff is REALLY good - I have people beg for it, if I’m giving out canning presents. I do use lime juice.
Wonderful Salsa
https://chickensintheroad.com/farm-bell-recipes/wonderful-salsa/?fbclid=IwAR2cFZuneUpWIzUswl-k4HQNtaUrtyY-YJ_KMzC8ylupKmtspSBnQALLW44
Everything below is from the link:
Ingredients
8 cups tomatoes – can use three 28/29 oz. cans tomatoes, well drained (I buy petite diced when I can find them on sale)
2 ½ cups diced onion
1 ½ cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup diced hot peppers (I usually use all banana peppers)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. canning salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
29 oz. can of tomato puree
1 ½ cups tomato sauce
1/4 cup bottled lime juice*
Directions
Mix everything together in a large saucepan. Bring slowly to a boil & boil gently for ten minutes (or less – be sure the onions & peppers remain somewhat crisp).
NOTE: At this point you could cool & refrigerate & use without canning if desired.
Pour into hot jars, cap with hot rings & lids.
Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
Yield: 7 to 8 pints.
A happy note to add here: David (tractor57) tested this recipe after making it with commercially canned tomato products (whose label states that citric acid has been added) and the pH was 4.1 – more acidic than the required magic number of pH 4.6 for safe preserving via boiling water bath.
*I started adding the lime juice to increase the acidity when I was making this with fresh tomatoes. I’m adding that in – it’s terrific!
Your soup technique is amazing................
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.