Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Sauce

Delicious and easy eggplant recipe, with a delicious sauce involving ingredients you probably already have on hand! It's amazing how thick the tahini makes the sauce, I had to add more water to mine for consistency sake. I packed leftovers for lunch today with sauce on it. Eggplant lost its nice dry baked texture, and the sauce soaked into the eggplant slices but still delicious : )

Also: Google? HOW do you not have tahini in your dictionary? Seriously? How many food blog do you host??

Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Sauce
from LaaLoosh
1 serving (or 2 as a side)

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, sliced 1/2" thick
1 Tbs tahini
1 Tbs water
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pinches smoked paprika
1 Tbs lemon juice
salt and pepper
olive oil, to brush
parsley, to garnish

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with a silicon mat.
2. Place eggplant slices evenly on baking sheet and brush with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20-30 mins, flipping half way through.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together tahini, water, garlic, paprika. Add more water if needed for consistency.
4. Plate eggplant, drizzle tahini sauce over, and garnish with parsley.

Baked Eggplant Cheese Pasta

Simple, delicious, and relatively healthy dinner. Everyone enjoyed it!

Baked Eggplant Cheese Pasta
from Bite my cake

Ingredients:
16 oz. pasta (rigatone or any other short pasta)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large eggplant, diced
2 cloves garlic
2 cups canned tomatoes
80 ml. white wine
100 g. cheese, grated (I used farmer's cheddar)
1 Tbs. parsley, chopped
5 Tbs. Parmesan, grated
salt and pepper

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 390F.
2. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and add eggplant, garlic, salt and pepper. Once the olive oil has been absorbed by the eggplant, add canned tomatoes and white wine, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed.
4. Combine pasta, eggplant mixture, and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste, and spread evenly in a 3 qt. pan. Sprinkle over Parmesan cheese and parsley.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Grilled Eggplant and Goat Cheese Salad

Grilled Eggplant and Goat Cheese Salad
adapted from Food Network - Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:
6 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 large eggplant
1/2 cup. toasted walnuts
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup basil, thinly sliced
2 Tbs. chopped mint
3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper

Instructions:
1. Prepare coals and grill.
2. Slice egg plant into 1/2" thick rounds, and brush with half of the olive oil.
3. Grill egg plants slices until tender.
4. Place eggplant flat in a pan, and sprinkle walnuts, feta, basil, and mint over. Then drizzle balsamic vinegar and other half of the olive oil over, along with the salt and pepper to taste.

Pizza 2-ways: Vegetable and Carmalized eggplant

So for my out-of-town friend David's last meal here, we made pizzas!


We both made a different kind. David made the veggie pizza, I made the caramelized eggplant pizza. Both were delicious. We used this super easy crust mix.

Here's the recipe to the vegetable pizza:


Vegetable pizza
Ingredients:
1 package pizza crust
1/2 tomato
1/3 medium white onion
1 green chili pepper
1 red hot chili pepper
2/3 cup tomato sauce
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
a dash of dried basil
a dash of salt

Instructions:
1. Make pizza crust and pre-heat oven according to package directions.
2. While the crust is rising, dice the tomato, onion, and both peppers.
3. Oil pizza pan (or jelly roll sheet for square pizza), and spread the crust around. It helps if you oil your hands and/or the dough, since it's pretty sticky.
4. Spread the sauce evenly over the spread-out dough.
5. Sprinkle all the mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
6. Evenly place all the diced vegetables over the cheese, and then sprinkle the basil and salt on top.
7. Bake according to the pizza crust directions.

Caramelized Eggplant pizza
Ingredients:
1 package pizza crust
3 cloves garlic
1/2 white onion
1 small eggplant
olive oil
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 oz. Brie cheese

Instructions:
1. Heat up 2 skillet with a generous amount of olive oil in each, on medium heat.
2. Peel and slice into circles the garlic. Place in first pan to start caramelizing.
3. Slice the onion into thin strips, and place into first pan.
4. Slice the eggplant into circles, and place in second pan.
5. Cook the onions and garlic in the first pan until golden, about 15 minutes, and the eggplant until mushy/darker brown, about 15 minutes as well.
6. Make pizza crust and pre-heat oven according to package directions.
7. While dough is rising, dice the Brie cheese.
7. Once crust has risen, oil pizza pan (or jelly roll sheet for square pizza), and spread the crust around. It helps if you oil your hands and/or the dough, since it's pretty sticky.
8. Place about 2 T. of olive oil on the top of the dough, and spread evenly.
9. Sprinkle all the mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
10. Evenly spread the Brie cheese over the top of the pizza.
11. Place the eggplant over the top of the cheese, so they are evenly spread and not touching.
12. Evenly spread the caramelized garlic and onion strips.
13. Bake according to package directions.