Eggplant recipes request

[cookiejar]

Okay,

 

I'm fighting cholesterol and one of the good for me foods is eggplant. I'm limited on my ideas for it (besides a lovely breading and cheese, sauce badness).

 

I also have a problem with it sometimes being slightly bitter, any hints?

 

Grilled?

 

I'm open to suggestion.

I am taking the doc very seriously

[JCK88]

Okay Cookie...I'm an eggplant fan myself. I love to stir fry it diced up in a couple tablespoons of olive oil along with chopped onions, peppers and mushrooms. Then, I toss in diced tomatoes after the other veggies are cooked. You can use fresh or canned. Then, the whole thing is seasoned with Italian spice, salt, pepper, a little ground fennel seed and some garlic, either dried or fresh. You cook this until the tomatoes blend in and create a bit of a sauce. This is delicious served over rice or spaghetti squash (which is better for you than the rice)

 

I don't have specific amounts, as this is just something I make. This summer my eggplants did great and we also cooked eggplant on the grill, using olive oil brushed on with Italian spices and garlic.

 

 

[BiscuitMaker]

Well Cookie my mother always fried it---

But she always sliced it and peeled it and soaked it in salted water first. The water would turn a gray color and she said that it took the bitter taste out------

You might try that before you cook it.

[cookiejar]

Thank you both so much.

 

I know these are simplistic questions but eggplant hasn't always been a big menu item for me . I figured it was safe to make a fool out of myself in front of you folks.

 

How do you soak? So far research says its the age of an eggplant that decides it's bitterness.

 

One nice thing I've found is it's not that pricey down here which helps.

 

Anybody use it for a meat substitute?

any good dips?

[nmchick]

Go Cookie, rah, rah, rah!

 

Your Cookiness, ever eaten any Thai eggplant dishes? They are usually made with those little round green Thai eggplants (yummmm), but you could do them with any old eggplant, I bet.

 

You'd need to hunt up some Thai curry paste, or figure out how to make it. I think DH did that last time. Saute up some eggplant and whatever else you've got around. (Green beans are nice and you definitely need some onion and garlic in there. Cilantro would be a good idea too.) Throw in some Thai curry paste and some coconut milk. Simmer. Dee-lish. Coconut milk comes in low fat if you need it, but I *think* it's ok for your diet.

 

I bet lemon grass would grow great at your house. Ummm, I'm so jealous.

 

On the soaking, I always though it made the eggplant so it wouldn't soak up as much oil.

 

Oh! Oh! Oh! We've made some good Indian eggplant dishes too. Ack. Can't think of it now. Things have been a lot more bland around here since the children arrived.

 

If dining out is still in your budget, you could get Thai take-out or Indian take-out to try some out. You are making me so hungry. About the only thing I miss about the big chitty is Thai food.

 

Just in case you haven't discovered this already, most libraries have cookbooks. I never buy until I try since so many cookbooks are, ummm, disappointing.

[Dora]

We have peeled and diced eggplant, and sauteed it with onion, zuchini, yellow squash and have even added a few shredded chard leaves, then sprinkled with season-all. Sometimes we have added one or 2 scrambled eggs (like a frittata). Enjoy.

Dora in the Texas Panhandle

where the high will be 48 so my eggplants are probably done for the year (snif, snif)

 

[BiscuitMaker]

Oh! Cookie that was salted water she would soak the eggplant in.

She just put it in a bowl and let it sit as I said until the water turned gray. Then she would dip in milk and cornmeal and fry really more sauteed.

The thing is it was wonderful and no bitter taste.