Eggplant Napoleon Recipes

Steps:

• Arrange the eggplant slices on two sheet pans, sprinkle with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes or until they begin to sweat. Using a paper towel, pat the slices dry and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the pesto, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. Toss in the eggplant to coat and let marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Dump the flour onto a shallow rimmed plate. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites and 1 cup of water. Combine the panko, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley and pepper on a second shallow rimmed plate.
• Spread a sheet of waxed paper on a clean work surface. Working with one slice of eggplant at a time, dredge it in the flour first, shaking off the excess, and then dip it in the egg mixture followed by the breadcrumbs. Gently press the breadcrumbs onto both sides of the eggplant and place on the waxed paper. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices.
• Pour at least 2 inches of corn oil into a small, deep pot. Heat the oil over high until hot but not smoking. Working in batches, fry the eggplant slices until golden, turning once, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not crowd the pot. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant slices to a paper towel-lined platter to drain.
• Place an eggplant slice on a small plate. Spread with 2 tablespoons of the baba ghanouj, top with a second eggplant slice and spread 1 tablespoon of baba ghanouj on top. Repeat layering in this order with the remaining eggplant slices and baba ghanouj to make eight to ten eggplant stacks.
• Just before serving, toss together the salad: In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes and onion. In a small bowl, whisk together the pesto, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Drizzle just enough of the pesto mixture over the tomato-onion mixture to thoroughly coat. Spoon some salad around each napoleon and drizzle the napoleons with some of the dressing left in the bottom of the bowl. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• For the vegetables: Place a grill pan over medium-high heat, or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant until tender, about 4 minutes each side. Grill the asparagus for 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally until crisp-tender. When cool enough to handle, cut the asparagus in half crosswise.
• For the filling: In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, basil, Pecorino Romano, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• To assemble: Place 4 slices eggplant on a work surface. Spread each with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture. Line 4 pieces of asparagus, side-by-side, on top. Place another slice of eggplant on top and repeat the layers. Top each napoleon with a slice of eggplant and place on a small baking sheet. Bake until warmed through, about 10 minutes, and serve.

Steps:

• For the black olive dressing, combine all ingredients and allow to sit for at least 2 hours, covered and refrigerated, for flavors to develop. For the poached garlic in the basil puree, place unpeeled garlic cloves in a small saucepan and cover by 1-inch of cold water. Bring to a boil, drain and repeat process 2 more times. Remove husk from garlic, chop. For the basil puree, blanch the basil in lightly salted boiling water for about 5 seconds. Remove and immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. Drain well, squeeze dry and chop. Add to a blender along with poached garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and enough stock to make a smooth puree. Store in refrigerator.;
• To oven dry tomatoes for napoleons, cut tomatoes in half and remove stems. With your fingers gently squeeze and remove the seeds. Lightly oil a baking sheet, place tomatoes and season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Place in a preheated 225 degree oven for 3 to 4 hours or until tomatoes are somewhat shriveled and have the faintest bit of color on them. For the napoleons, slice the eggplants into 12 (1/2-inch) thick rounds and generously paint both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400 degree oven until cooked through and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Oil, season and roast remaining vegetables in the same manner and set aside. Be sure not to overcook, vegetables should still have some texture. To assemble the napoleons, on a lightly oiled baking sheet start with a round of eggplant and top with slices of zucchini, onions, peppers, mushrooms and oven dried tomatoes and cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with an eggplant slice for each napoleon. Place a rosemary spear in the center of each napoleon to hold it together. To serve, Place baking sheet with napoleons in a preheated 375 degree oven for a few minutes to warm through and barely melt cheese. Place on warm plates and spoon the black olive dressing around. Top with drops of the reduced Balsamic vinegar, fresh basil puree and garnish with herb sprigs. Serve immediately.;

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place one eggplant on a baking sheet, and roast for one hour. Allow to cool. Slice in half lengthwise, and scoop pulp into a medium mixing bowl. Add olive oil to bowl, and blend well with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and reserve.
• Slice remaining eggplant into disks about 1/8 inch thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, beat eggs with a fork until blended. Dip each eggplant slice in the flour, egg and then the bread crumbs.
• In a medium saucepan, heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees. Add eggplant in small batches, and saute until brown on both sides, about a minute a side. Remove from pan, and drain on paper towels.
• To assemble, place a slice of eggplant on each of four plates, topped by a heaping tablespoon of reserved eggplant puree. Top with another slice of eggplant and another spoonful of puree, continuing until the eggplant and puree have been evenly distributed. Finish each napoleon with a slice of eggplant; there will be a total of four to six layers. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Dice the eggplant, sprinkle it with salt and set it aside for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they start to smell aromatic and pop, about 1 to 2 minutes, add the onions. Saute until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes, then add the chili. Stir in the lamb. Continue to saute until the lamb has lost its red color and is finely broken up, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
• Drain and rinse the eggplant. Pat the pieces dry on paper towels. Reheat the lamb mixture in the skillet, add 1 more tablespoon of the oil and add the eggplant. Cook, stirring, until the eggplant has lost its dryness, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes. Cover and simmer until the eggplant is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper and set aside until ready to serve.
• Combine the ginger, coriander and yogurt and set aside.
• Heat the remaining oil in a wok or skillet. Add one of the pappadums. As soon as it begins to curl, about 15 to 20 seconds, turn it over using tongs or chopsticks. Flatten it in the pan and cook another few seconds. It should not darken. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining pappadums.
• To assemble, reheat the eggplant and lamb mixture. Place a pappadum on each of 4 plates, top with a quarter of the lamb mixture, then cover with another pappadum. Spoon some of the yogurt mixture on top and serve with steamed rice, if desired.

Steps:

• Drizzle 2 Tbsp. dressing over tomatoes in shallow dish; set aside. Beat egg and water in pie plate until well blended. Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan in separate pie plate. Combine mozzarella, remaining dressing and basil.
• Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Meanwhile, dip each eggplant slice in egg mixture, then in crumb mixture, turning to evenly to coat both sides of each slice. Add, in batches, to skillet; cook 3 to 4 min. on each side or until golden brown, adding remaining oil as needed. Transfer to plate.
• Place 1 eggplant slice on each of 4 serving plates; top each with 1 tomato slice and about 3 Tbsp. mozzarella mixture. Repeat all layers. Cover with remaining eggplant slices.