StrawberryGal
Sweet and Innocent
Eggplant Casserole! 
I can send you the recipe.
Fried Eggplants are good too.
I can send you the recipe.
Fried Eggplants are good too.
Eggplant
- Thread starter vraiblonde
- Start date
Meh. I'm underwhelmed. It was actually sweet, both grilled and fried. I didn't taste any bitter at all. Of course, 2A told me to soak it in buttermilk first, which I did, so that might have something to do with it.
It was very soft, sort of like squash. Tasted good enough, but not something I'd go out of my way for.
It was very soft, sort of like squash. Tasted good enough, but not something I'd go out of my way for.
Wenchy
Hot Flash
Kids went to see the "Ratatouille" movie and were all excited about me making ratatouille.
The kids and ex all hated it.
I hated it when my Mom made any eggplant.
I researched and found the "best" recipe.
:compost:
I actually thought the ratatouille tasted good.
It is a pretty vegetable. It has that going for it.
The kids and ex all hated it.
I hated it when my Mom made any eggplant.
I researched and found the "best" recipe.
:compost:
I actually thought the ratatouille tasted good.
It is a pretty vegetable. It has that going for it.
kwillia
n/a
Spotted this recipe and thought of you... (And BadGirl...
)
Greeks prepare moussaka with loving care: each slice of eggplant is laid in the pan as if placing a blanket over a baby. The meat sauce is stirred and sampled any number of times until the balance of herbs and spices achieves perfection. The white sauce topping is whisked until it is the color of old ivory and swells upward like a cloud. Only then, as the casserole is tiered layer by layer, is the cook happy.
Moussaka
INGREDIENTS
for the eggplant filling:
•3 medium eggplants
•1 cup olive oil, or more as needed
•1½ pounds lean ground beef or lamb
•1 large onion, finely chopped
•3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
•3 tomatoes, finely chopped
•1 tablespoon tomato paste
•2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
•¼ teaspoon ground allspice
•Small pinch of ground cinnamon
•¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•2 tablespoons Metaxa or other brandy
•½ cup dry white wine
•Salt, to taste
for the topping:
•3 cups Saltsa Besamel
•1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
•1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
•2/3 cup freshly grated kefalotyri cheese
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly oil several baking sheets.
2. Trim the stem ends off the eggplants, and cut them into ¼-inch-thick lengthwise slices. Coat each slice on both sides with oil. Arrange the slices in one layer, without overlapping, on the baking sheets. (You may need to do this in several batches, depending on how many baking sheets you have and the size of your oven.) Bake for 10 minutes, turn them over, and continue baking until well wilted and slightly golden, another 8 to 10 minutes (see Notes).
3. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
4. While the eggplant is cooling, prepare the filling: Place the meat in a large nonreactive skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, using a fork to break up the chunks, until the meat is browned, 10 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and continue cooking and stirring until well mixed, 3 minutes. Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the mixture is fairly dry and crumbly, 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside to cool.
5. Prepare the topping: Stir the besamel, lemon juice, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons of the cheese together in a mixing bowl. Set it aside.
6. To assemble the moussaka, cover the bottom of a 13- ×9-inch baking dish with an overlapping layer of eggplant slices. Spread one third of the meat mixture over the eggplant, and then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the remaining cheese over the filling. Repeat the layers of eggplant, filling, and cheese. Arrange the remaining eggplant slices over the second layer (don’t worry if there are not enough slices to cover the filling completely), and spread the remaining filling over them. Spread the topping over the meat, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
7. Place the dish in the oven and bake until the moussaka is bubbly, golden on top, and slightly browned around the edges, 1 hour. Remove it from the oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
The easiest way to coat the eggplant slices with oil is to pour about 1 cup olive oil in a bowl and use your hands to “brush” each side. You may need a little more oil; the idea is to coat them well without saturating.
To streamline the process, the meat filling and the topping mixture can be prepared in advance and refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days. It is best, however, to proceed with the assembling and cooking of the moussaka once the eggplant preparation is under way.
You can also fry the eggplant slices.
(And BadGirl...)Greeks prepare moussaka with loving care: each slice of eggplant is laid in the pan as if placing a blanket over a baby. The meat sauce is stirred and sampled any number of times until the balance of herbs and spices achieves perfection. The white sauce topping is whisked until it is the color of old ivory and swells upward like a cloud. Only then, as the casserole is tiered layer by layer, is the cook happy.
Moussaka
INGREDIENTS
for the eggplant filling:
•3 medium eggplants
•1 cup olive oil, or more as needed
•1½ pounds lean ground beef or lamb
•1 large onion, finely chopped
•3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
•3 tomatoes, finely chopped
•1 tablespoon tomato paste
•2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
•¼ teaspoon ground allspice
•Small pinch of ground cinnamon
•¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•2 tablespoons Metaxa or other brandy
•½ cup dry white wine
•Salt, to taste
for the topping:
•3 cups Saltsa Besamel
•1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
•1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
•2/3 cup freshly grated kefalotyri cheese
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly oil several baking sheets.
2. Trim the stem ends off the eggplants, and cut them into ¼-inch-thick lengthwise slices. Coat each slice on both sides with oil. Arrange the slices in one layer, without overlapping, on the baking sheets. (You may need to do this in several batches, depending on how many baking sheets you have and the size of your oven.) Bake for 10 minutes, turn them over, and continue baking until well wilted and slightly golden, another 8 to 10 minutes (see Notes).
3. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
4. While the eggplant is cooling, prepare the filling: Place the meat in a large nonreactive skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, using a fork to break up the chunks, until the meat is browned, 10 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and continue cooking and stirring until well mixed, 3 minutes. Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the mixture is fairly dry and crumbly, 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside to cool.
5. Prepare the topping: Stir the besamel, lemon juice, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons of the cheese together in a mixing bowl. Set it aside.
6. To assemble the moussaka, cover the bottom of a 13- ×9-inch baking dish with an overlapping layer of eggplant slices. Spread one third of the meat mixture over the eggplant, and then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the remaining cheese over the filling. Repeat the layers of eggplant, filling, and cheese. Arrange the remaining eggplant slices over the second layer (don’t worry if there are not enough slices to cover the filling completely), and spread the remaining filling over them. Spread the topping over the meat, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
7. Place the dish in the oven and bake until the moussaka is bubbly, golden on top, and slightly browned around the edges, 1 hour. Remove it from the oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
The easiest way to coat the eggplant slices with oil is to pour about 1 cup olive oil in a bowl and use your hands to “brush” each side. You may need a little more oil; the idea is to coat them well without saturating.
To streamline the process, the meat filling and the topping mixture can be prepared in advance and refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days. It is best, however, to proceed with the assembling and cooking of the moussaka once the eggplant preparation is under way.
You can also fry the eggplant slices.
BadGirl
I am so very blessed
I have a pan in the freezer just waiting for me to thaw it and pop that bad boy in the oven.Spotted this recipe and thought of you...
Greeks prepare moussaka with loving care: each slice of eggplant is laid in the pan as if placing a blanket over a baby. The meat sauce is stirred and sampled any number of times until the balance of herbs and spices achieves perfection. The white sauce topping is whisked until it is the color of old ivory and swells upward like a cloud. Only then, as the casserole is tiered layer by layer, is the cook happy.
Moussaka
INGREDIENTS
for the eggplant filling:
•3 medium eggplants
•1 cup olive oil, or more as needed
•1½ pounds lean ground beef or lamb
•1 large onion, finely chopped
•3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
•3 tomatoes, finely chopped
•1 tablespoon tomato paste
•2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
•¼ teaspoon ground allspice
•Small pinch of ground cinnamon
•¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•2 tablespoons Metaxa or other brandy
•½ cup dry white wine
•Salt, to taste
for the topping:
•3 cups Saltsa Besamel
•1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
•1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
•2/3 cup freshly grated kefalotyri cheese
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly oil several baking sheets.
2. Trim the stem ends off the eggplants, and cut them into ¼-inch-thick lengthwise slices. Coat each slice on both sides with oil. Arrange the slices in one layer, without overlapping, on the baking sheets. (You may need to do this in several batches, depending on how many baking sheets you have and the size of your oven.) Bake for 10 minutes, turn them over, and continue baking until well wilted and slightly golden, another 8 to 10 minutes (see Notes).
3. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
4. While the eggplant is cooling, prepare the filling: Place the meat in a large nonreactive skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, using a fork to break up the chunks, until the meat is browned, 10 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and continue cooking and stirring until well mixed, 3 minutes. Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the mixture is fairly dry and crumbly, 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside to cool.
5. Prepare the topping: Stir the besamel, lemon juice, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons of the cheese together in a mixing bowl. Set it aside.
6. To assemble the moussaka, cover the bottom of a 13- ×9-inch baking dish with an overlapping layer of eggplant slices. Spread one third of the meat mixture over the eggplant, and then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the remaining cheese over the filling. Repeat the layers of eggplant, filling, and cheese. Arrange the remaining eggplant slices over the second layer (don’t worry if there are not enough slices to cover the filling completely), and spread the remaining filling over them. Spread the topping over the meat, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
7. Place the dish in the oven and bake until the moussaka is bubbly, golden on top, and slightly browned around the edges, 1 hour. Remove it from the oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
The easiest way to coat the eggplant slices with oil is to pour about 1 cup olive oil in a bowl and use your hands to “brush” each side. You may need a little more oil; the idea is to coat them well without saturating.
To streamline the process, the meat filling and the topping mixture can be prepared in advance and refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days. It is best, however, to proceed with the assembling and cooking of the moussaka once the eggplant preparation is under way.
You can also fry the eggplant slices.
acommondisaster
Active Member
I looooove eggplant - two ways - ratattouille (sp?) and breaded and deep fried (which was my mom's way of cooking it). Oh! And eggplant parm. Or grilled and added to a wrap. omg I love eggplant.
You can't look at it and figure out how it's going to taste which may be why you were underwhelmed. Don't know about the buttermilk thing, I've always just salted them and let them drain for a bit before cooking.
You can't look at it and figure out how it's going to taste which may be why you were underwhelmed. Don't know about the buttermilk thing, I've always just salted them and let them drain for a bit before cooking.