Panko Crusted Eggplant Oven Fries With Tarragon Aioli

Panko Crusted Eggplant Oven Fries 

With Tarragon Aioli 

kosher

As hard as I tried I could not get the crunchiness I was looking for without breading the eggplant.  The crunchiness of the panko along with the creaminess of the eggplant makes for great contrast.

Egg Plant Fries

1 Medium Eggplant Cut into 1/2"X1/2"X4" Fries

3 Large Eggs Beaten

8oz (1 box) Panko Bread Crumbs (I use Kikkoman)

1 Cup of All Purpose Flour

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Season the fries with salt and pepper to taste, and let them sit for 15 minutes to draw out some or the moister and bitterness.  Coat the fries in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs.  Coat the bottom of a sheet pan with olive oil and spread the fries out on the pan evenly, so they are not touching each other.  Then drizzle more olive oil on top of the fries.  Bake at 425F for 15 minute, then turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes, or until browned.

For the aioli I got lazy and just took some store bought mayo and added garlic powder, black pepper, and tarragon to taste.

Roasted Eggplant With Crushed Tomato

Roasted Eggplant With Crushed Tomato

Roasted Eggplant With Crushed Tomato

7-1/4 inch Eggplant Rounds

1/4 Cup Crushed Tomatoes

Olive Oil

Salt

Black Pepper

Italian Seasoning

Red Pepper Flake

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Spread the eggplant rounds on a sheet pan drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Bake at 350F until browned on both sides.  Plate in a circle with one round in the middle.  Top the middle round with the crushed tomatoes.  Season the dish with Italian seasoning, red pepper flake and Parmesan cheese to taste.

Leave out the cheese and this is vegan, gluten free, an paleo friendly.

Mini Eggplant Pizzas

Mini Eggplant Pizzas



Mini Eggplant Pizzas

This a slightly healthier take eggplant parmigiana that is also gluten free. 

1 eggplant peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

1 can of you favorite tomato sauce

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Italian Seasoning

1 8 oz bag of shredded mozzarella

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Season the eggplant with the salt and pepper and let it sit for 15 minutes to draw out some of the moisture and bitterness.

Add the garlic powder onion powder and Italian seasoning to the canned tomato sauce to taste. Lubricate a sheet pan with the olive oil and spread the eggplant rounds across the pan.  Top the rounds with the sauce and cheese and bake at 450F until the cheese in melted and the eggplant is soft but not mushy.

3 Quick (Vegetarian) Dips

3 Quick (Vegetarian) Dips

1. Olive Dip
1 jar of your favorite olives mostly drained
3 Tablespoons of mayo

Toss it all in the blender or food processor and process until almost smooth.  Chill and serve.

2. Eggplant Dip
1 Medium to large sized eggplant
1 Tablespoon or extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon of cider vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Stab the eggplant with a fork about 20 times.  Microwave the eggplant until soft about 10-15 minutes.  Let the eggplant cool cut it in half and scrape it all out into the blender or food processor.  Add olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper into the blender or food processor and process until almost smooth.  Chill and serve

3. Spinach Dip
1-10 oz bad of spinach washed and stems removed
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic
olive oil for sauteing
1 small tub or sour cream (or Tofuti sour cream if it want it to be vegan or non-dairy)

Saute the onions in the olive oil over medium low heat until they start to brown.  Add the garlic and spinach to the pan.  It will look like a lot of spinach but it cook down to a fraction of the size.  Once the spinach is cooked all the way down, turn off the pan and let it cool.  In a bowl combine the spinach onion mixture with the sour cream, chill and serve