Spicy Eggplant Fritters

Yum!! I pinned these a while back, but just never got around to making them. I found myself with an eggplant in the fridge that I needed to use, and thought I'd give it a try. So glad I did! I never would have thought to make eggplant like this, and it was really delicious. I think the hot sauce is what makes these great, but if you don't like hot I'm sure you could leave it out and add some other good stuff.

1 lb eggplant, cut into 8 1/2" thick rounds
2 large eggs (I used EggBeaters)
1/2 tsp hot sauce of choice (I used WAY more)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 c + 1/2 tbsp minced basil
Cooking spray

Pound each eggplant slice on both sides with a meat tenderizer (using the rough side - see pictures from original recipe if needed). Set aside.

In a shallow large dish with edges whisk the eggs, Tabasco, salt, black pepper and 1/2 tbsp basil for 20 seconds. Dip an eggplant slice into the mixture on both sides and set aside inside the dish. Repeat the same step with remaining eggplant slices and set aside.

Preheat large non-stick skillet on medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Saute the eggplant for 5 - 7 minutes per side. Discard the egg wash/marinade. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with remaining basil. 

Original recipe found here.

We had these along with Baked Portobello Parmesan and Balsamic Roasted Green Beans. DELISH.

Spinach & Cheese Eggplant Rollatini

Hands down, AMAZING. Definitely a fave eggplant recipe, and this one isn't even pan-fried! I just love the recipes at SkinnyTaste, and this one is no different. It would be a recipe better saved for the weekend, since it requires more time - or in my case, a teacher who has all the time in the world during the summer. :) Full disclosure, I may have eaten half the recipe all my myself...

Also, if you don't like eggplant, you won't even know it's in this recipe... AND I really dislike spinach, but that didn't stop me from eating half of this!!

Be sure to check out some other eggplant recipes I've tried:
Oven-Fried Eggplant
Eggplant Lasagna
Eggplant Roll-Ups (similar, but these are pan-fried & no spinach)
Eggplant Parmigiana

2 medium Italian eggplants, cut lengthwise into 10 (1/4-inch thick) slices (21 oz total when sliced)
salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 c marinara sauce (just whatever is your fave)
1 large egg
1/2 c part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 c grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
8 oz frozen spinach, heated through and squeezed well
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c (4 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella

Cut the 2 ends off the eggplants. Cut the eggplants lengthwise, into 1/4-inch thick slices until you have a total of 10 slices about the same size. It's easiest to do this with a mandolin. Sprinkle the eggplant with salt to help remove excess moisture and bitterness from the eggplants. Set asidefor about 10 to 15 minutes. Pat dry with a towel.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Season the eggplant with a little more salt and pepper, then arrange on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover tightly with foil and bake until eggplant is tender and pliable but NOT fully cooked, about 8 to10 minutes. I only cooked mine 6 min.

Spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, beat the egg then mix together with ricotta, Pecorino Romano, spinach, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.

Pat eggplant dry with paper towels. Dividing the ricotta-spinach mixture (about 2 generous tablespoons each) evenly and spoon onto one end of each eggplant slice, spreading to cover. Starting at the short end, roll up slices and arrange them each seam side down in the prepared dish. Top with remaining marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese and tightly cover with foil.

Bake until the eggplant is very tender, about 60 minutes. (I only baked mine 45 min & it was perfect). Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving with additional Pecorino Romano if desired.

Original recipe found here.

Oven Fried Eggplant

I didn't expect this recipe to be so good! These get nice and crispy. I always thought my favorite way to eat baked eggplant was with tomato & Parmesan on top... but this is equally delicious!

1/2 c fat-free mayonnaise
1 tbsp minced dried onion
1 lb unpeeled eggplant, sliced (1/2 inch slices) (I always peel my eggplant)
1/4 cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs
1/4 c Panko
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
cooking spray

Combine mayo & onion, stir well. Spread evenly over both sides of eggplant slices.

Combine breadcrumbs, Panko, cheese, and Italian seasoning in a shallow bowl; dredge eggplant in breadcrumbs mixture.

Place eggplant on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. I used a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet. Bake@ 425 degrees for 12 minutes. Turn eggplant over; and bake an additional 12 minutes or until golden. I broiled mine for about 1 min per side to get them a little more brown. You could also dip these in marinara. Yum!

Original recipe found here.

I made one of my favorites - Zucchini & Carrot Cakes with Basil Chive Cream - to go with these. I also roasted some broccoli.

Baked Vegetable Casserole

The tomatoes MAKE this dish! I would have used more if I had extra tomatoes! YUM!

2 tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt
2 tomatoes
1 eggplant
2 medium sized zucchini
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 c chopped onions
1/2 c marinara sauce
2 c part-skim mozzarella cheese
pepper to taste 

Cube up your zucchini and eggplant. In a large skillet heat oil and toss in your cubed vegetables & onion over medium heat, sprinkle salt on top (I also used Cavenders).  Heat and toss until vegetables are a little tender. Add marinara and stir well. Transfer the vegetables to a sprayed or foiled baking dish - I used a 9x13". Slice your tomatoes and arrange slices on top of other vegetables. Sprinkle a bunch of cheese on top! Sprinkle with pepper to taste and bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned, and veggies are tender. I broiled mine for a minute to really brown the cheese! 

Original recipe found here.

Eggplant Lasagna

This was seriously good and Will thought it tasted like Eggplant Parmesan. The top gets nice and crispy, even though the eggplant aren't pan-fried at all. YUM! I cut the original recipe in half and just made half, which is what I posted below.

1 large eggplant, sliced thinly & peeled (I sliced mine into circles instead of lengthwise)
1 c marinara sauce
3/4 c low-fat ricotta
3/4 c shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/2 c shredded Parmesan
1 c Panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8x8" baking dish and lay out one layer of eggplant in the bottom of dish. Mix ricotta & mozzarella together. Layer half of mixture on top of eggplant. Cover with marinara sauce, and top with some Parmesan. Repeat: eggplant, ricotta/mozz mixture, sauce, Parmesan. Then I did one more layer of eggplant, a little bit more sauce, Parmesan cheese, and then the Panko. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is nice and brown. Enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Eggplant Roll-Ups

My mom has got eggplant in her garden, so I found another way to cook eggplant. This is a Rachael Ray recipe, but I tried to cut back on the olive oil a little by using olive oil spray instead. These were super yummy. Oh, and I even used my mom's homemade pesto for these. :) We had these with roasted okra, also from Mom's garden - so basically, our whole meal came from the garden! Awesome! Remember, it's Meatless Monday!

1 large eggplant (about 1 3/4 pounds), cut lengthwise into 8 slices
salt/pepper
4 large eggs 
1/2 c pesto 
2 c Panko bread crumbs 
olive oil spray
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese 
1/3 c grated pecorino-romano cheese 
1 c marinara sauce
  
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and 2 tablespoons pesto. Pour the bread crumbs onto a large plate. Dip each eggplant slice into the egg mixture, then coat with the bread crumbs. 

In a large nonstick skillet, spray olive oil generously over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the eggplant until golden, 2 minutes on each side, spraying olive oil between each batch. Transfer the eggplant to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. 

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and 3 tablespoons pecorino-romano; season with salt and pepper. Add in remaining pesto and stir. Top each eggplant slice with about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture. Roll up each slice, and use a toothpick to hold. Bake until the eggplant is tender when pierced with a toothpick, about 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the marinara sauce to a simmer. Serve the roll-ups with the sauce and remaining pecorino.

Original recipe found here. 

Eggplant Parmigiana

AMAZING. One of my favorites without a doubt. Absolutely delicious. I used my mom's eggplant and tomatoes. The recipe came from The Fit Cook and I am definitely going to have to check out more of her recipes now. I could go on forever about how awesome this is... make it, eat it, love it.

1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds (I also peel mine)
1 medium tomato, sliced
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (or mozzarella)
1/2 c Panko
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 egg
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta
1/4 c fat free cottage cheese
salt/pepper
olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash the eggplant, peel it if you want, then slice it into 1/2-inch rounds. Lay the eggplant on a cutting board and sprinkle with salt. Let the eggplant sit 5 minutes: the salt will draw bitter liquid out of the eggplant. Pat dry with a paper towel. Flip and repeat.

Beat the egg in a shallow dish or bowl and set aside. In a separate shallow dish or bowl, whisk together the bread crumbs, Panko, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. While the pan comes up to temperature, pat the eggplant dry with a paper towel. Pass each slice through the egg, then through the bread crumbs. Place the eggplant in the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Drizzle with extra olive oil before flipping them over. Cook the second side another 5 minutes.

While the eggplant cooks, combine the ricotta and cottage cheese; stir a little salt and pepper into the it as well. Set aside. Wash the tomato, then cut it into 1/4-inch slices.

Transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet that has been lined with foil. Top half of the eggplant slices with a little of the cheese mixture, then top with another slice of eggplant. Place a slice of tomato over the eggplant, and sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp parmesan or mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden.

** I highly recommend not using a tomato sauce on top! The tomato slice was so juicy and delicious. Try it without first, and if you feel like you must have marinara, then add it. :)

Original recipe found here.

7/10/15 - Always a summertime fave!