Roasted Smashed Eggplant?

[Richard Kilgore]

I picked up a 6 lb can of Roasted Smashed Eggplant from a Mediterranean grocer last week. (Why, you say? Because it was on sale for less than $5.) I plan on using about a fourth of it for Baba Ghanoush, but am looking for other dishes to do.

What would you do with canned roasted smashed eggplant in your part of the world?

[Lisa Shock]

I'd curry some of it. Then, maybe, try it as an enchilada filling.

[djyee100]

Put it in a frittata with some sauteed garlic and onion and fresh parsley. Or adorn a tomato cheese pizza with it.

Or...if you're feeling adventurous. Substitute it for sauteed eggplant in this recipe that was given to me by an Iranian chef named Ariana Bundy. Yes, that's soy sauce in the recipe, and it's not Persian, but Ariana said she liked it. I really like this dish myself--which reminds me, I should make it again soon as fresh eggplant and tomatoes come into season. There's a Persian name for this egg dish, too. Kuku?

My adaptation of Ariana's original recipe follows.

PERSIAN "FRITTATA"

1 lb eggplant, cut into 1" cubes

Olive oil, approx 1/4 cup

1 medium onion, diced

1 Tbsp garlic, chopped

1 tsp turmeric

2 to 3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, & diced

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 pinches saffron, soaked in 1 Tbsp water

1/2 cup chopped parsley

4 Tbsp walnuts or almonds, toasted & crushed

6 Tbsp barberries or dried cranberries

5 Tbsp flour

2 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp soy sauce

9 eggs

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat some olive oil in a skillet, and saute eggplant cubes until golden. Remove eggplant from pan and set aside. Heat more oil in the pan, and add onions, garlic, and turmeric. Cook on medium heat until soft, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Lower heat, return eggplant to pan, add tomatoes and cinnamon, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated. Remove from heat, mash with a fork or pulse in a food processor only until mixed.

Stir in saffron with soaking water, parsley, walnuts or almonds, barberries or cranberries, flour, baking powder, sugar, soy sauce. Taste, and add salt and pepper if desired. The mixture should be well-seasoned. Allow to cool (put in freezer for 10 mins).

Meanwhile, lightly whisk eggs in a separate bowl and add 1 pinch of salt per egg (approx 1/8 tsp salt). When vegetable mixture is cool, add eggs. Mix together well. Pour into oiled 9" X 12" baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden. Let cool completely, and cut into squares. Serve with salad or in a sandwich.

[heidih]

I have been wanting to try creamed eggplant per this post in Smithy's eGullet food blog. It looks like starting with your product would be fine, and then adding the bechamel, etc

[purplewiz]

I have been wanting to try creamed eggplant per this post in Smithy's eGullet food blog. It looks like starting with your product would be fine, and then adding the bechamel, etc

←

That was my first thought, right off the bat. The creamed eggplant is seriously good.

Marcia.

[nickrey]

Try them in a pasta sauce.

Or if you are really keen there are 3116 recipes for eggplants at this enthusiast site. Type "mashed" into the search engine and you will find a few you can start from

[Lactic Solar Dust]

Add some red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, and a little fresh thyme. Toss with some baby greens and add whatever accroutments makes sense (grilled zucchini/yellow squash, roasted cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, etc...) for a nice summer salad.

[kellytree]

a little hot pepper, 1 sun dried tomato, 5 olives, and a 1 inch slice of feta -- mashed together = a good ravioli filling ( served with a puttanesca type sauce)

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks for all the great ideas. I'll try a few of these and report back.

More ideas more than welcome.