Soul Food Saturday

You know the day that you're on turkey and stuffing overload, that you could use a break in the madness before Christmas? Well in comes the little eggplant. With butter, cheese, and bacon who can say no? This side dish idea goes perfect any grilled meat or fish. Grab a fork, and give this one a try.

Eggplant Ragu
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 large eggplant, chopped
1 small onion, diced
4 strips bacon, diced
1 Anaheim chile, diced
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1tbs. Olive oil
1 tbs. Butter

In a medium pan add oil and butter, then heat until butter has melted. Add onion, mushrooms and peppers. Add 1/4 tsp. of salt. Stir to combine. Cook until onion has softened and has began to turn clear. Add bacon. Stir to combine. Cook until bacon has began to render and then add eggplant. Along with garlic and 1/4 tsp. salt. Stir to combine. Cover and cook until eggplant is tender. Stirring often. To finish check for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Add 1/4 c of Parmesan to top. Enjoy!

Eggplant, Yay or Nay?

When I knew I was going to be making this dish, I posed a question to my Facebook fans. (There are over 18,000 of you, so that's a lot of feedback!) I asked "Eggplant, Yay or Nay?" And most of you, I would say over 75% agreed with my family and said "Yay"!!

Now yes, many of you said you love it fried, as an appetizer or a whole meal, and I can't argue with you. That's one of our favorite ways to eat it too. But I am on a mission to find even more ways for us to eat it. It's kind of something I don't think of a whole lot, and I need to change that. We love the flavor, and so I was really excited when I came across this in All You magazine back before the holidays.

Do you try to use more whole what pasta? If not, I would encourage you to try it. I'm not saying totally swap out all the "regular" pasta in your diet, but for certain dishes, the nutty flavor of the whole wheat variety really lends itself well to the flavor of the sauce. And this is the perfect example of that. The richness of the sauce, and eggplant are only highlighted by the whole wheat penne. In fact, I can honestly say I don't think it would taste as delicious with ordinary pasta. Eggplant is such an earthy veggie, and that matches so well with the earthiness of the pasta.

Oh, and did I mention this entire sauce is cooked in the slow cooker? Yep. The only thing you have to do is boil water when supper time rolls around. (Okay, technically, you're supposed to stir it a couple times during cooking, but if you don't, I will never know!)

If you are an eggplant fan, and looking for more ways to enjoy it, this is just the ticket. If you aren't quite sure about eggplant yet, why not give it another try, this time with something you know you like, pasta and tomato sauce??!! Either way, this is definitely a winner that will become an instant favorite.

Whole Wheat Penne with Eggplant Tomato Sauce 
1 lb. whole wheat penne
2 TBS butter, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
8 oz. button mushrooms, chopped
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 TBS dried basil
1 TBS dried parsley, extra for garnish
Salt and Pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Spray Crock Pot with cooking spray. Combine butter, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, eggplant and mushrooms in slow cooker. Stir to combine. Add tomatoes. Stir well. Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours, stirring a few times during cooking. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Top with eggplant sauce and garnish with extra parsley and cheese.

Shared on The Country Cook Jan. 17, 2014

Eggplant on Very Good Recipes

Tomato Substitute

Every summer one of our family's favorite treats are Fried Green Tomatoes. My gardeners (aka husband and son) know if they want a decent amount of ripe tomatoes to enjoy, they better plant extra because as soon as they are green and big enough to eat, I'm stealing them to fry them up! And they are okay with that because I've passed my love for these southern summer favorite onto them. Well, this year the drought was not kind to our garden, and while we have enjoyed some grape and cherry tomatoes, and even some peppers, the ones I would have used for frying just didn't grow that well. In fact, the only time we were able to indulge was at the State Fair and the fried veggies vendor. (And boy did they taste good!) So when I could no longer wait and needed to satisfy my craving, I remembered what my mom used to do when I was growing up. During the winter months when green tomatoes were no where to be found, she discovered eggplant made a tasty substitution. Is it the exact same? Of course not. Nothing gives you the tangy flavor of a fresh green tomato, but the texture is close, and of course the beer batter makes anything taste good! I like them sliced, served as a main dish with a little warm marinara sauce and/or ranch dip on the side; but you could also make them in smaller portions, and put them out for a party. Sometimes substitutions need to be made in life, including in our favorite foods, but when those turn out just as delicious as the original, then it's a sacrifice I'm okay to make!

Beer Battered Fried Eggplant

2 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced about 1/2 inch thick

2/3 c. flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2/3 c. beer

Vegetable Oil
Sea Salt
Marinara Sauce, optional
Ranch Dip, optional

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper and beer. Whisk to combine. Should be the consistency of pancake batter. Preheat an electric skillet to 375. Pour 1 inch of oil in bottom. Dip eggplant slices into batter and place in oil when hot. Fry on each side about 4 minutes until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Season with sea salt. Serve with warm marinara or ranch.

Shared on Make Ahead Meals Sept. 24, 2012
Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box Sept. 25, 2012
Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain Sept. 26, 2012
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage Sept. 27, 2012
Shared on The Country Cook Sept. 28, 2012

Eggplant on Very Good Recipes

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