The biggest advantage of making up , I mean, developing recipes for a living, especially when those recipes are geared towards people just like you – with full lives, small kitchens and healthy, adventurous appetites, is that you end up with a bank of reliable standbys that you can resort to in the middle of a busy week. When I was going through my archive of recipes, I found an inordinate number of eggplant dishes. It’s not that I have favorites amongst my vegetables, at least I try not to, but eggplant does such a great job at lending itself to a variety of simple, speedy and tasty preparations. Just take look at how different all the dishes in the  photos above look. If that was broccoli, you’d likely just see a lot of florets. But with eggplant you can slice and dice it, you can stuff it, and you can also blitz it to a smooth, creamy pulp. And eggplant stores well in the fridge for 6 to 8 days, or sometimes even longer, if it’s really fresh when you buy it (of course you can guarantee freshness by growing it yourself!), so you can pick up a bunch on Sunday and cook it throughout the week. I’ve also never salted an eggplant in my life, and I’ve never come upon a eggplant dish that suffered for the lack of salting. Modern eggplants have mostly had all of the bitterness bred out of them, so unless you find an heirloom variety, I pretty much guarantee that’ll you be fine if you forego your mother/ grandmother’s cardinal eggplant salting rule!

For an additional bonus, with eggplant’s meaty texture you can get away with going all-veggie every now and then and no-one (read: boyfriend, husband, burly flat mate etc.) will be none the wiser. Ok, I lie, they will surely notice, but they’ll be adequately sated that they probably won’t mind. Probably.

The recipes after the jump; Eggplant, Mozzarella & Tomato Stacks, Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb and Stir-Fried Five Spice Duck (or chicken) with Plums and Eggplant are adaptions from dishes in my cookbook, Chop, Sizzle & Stir and from creations during my stint as the food editor for a British food magazine. I love to re-visit them when I’m all out of fresh ideas or when I don’t want to tax my brain too much and want something trust-worthy and simple (believe me, Google is not your friend when it comes to finding reliable recipes!).

Enjoy – and let me know what you think!

Eggplant, Mozzarella & Tomato Stacks
Serves 2

1 medium eggplant, sliced 1/3 inch thick, so that you have 8 large slices (save the narrower ends for another dish – perhaps an end-of-the week ratatouille?)
2 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbs. store-bought sun dried tomato pesto or regular pesto
Handful basil leaves
2 roma tomatoes , sliced 1/3-inch thick
3/4 lb  mozzarella, sliced 1/3-inch thick
3 Tbs. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. white breadcrumbs (optional)
Extra basil leaves, to garnish

Pre-heat the oven to 360F. Heat a skillet or griddle pan until very hot, meanwhile, lightly brush the eggplant slices with 1 1/2 Tbs. of the olive oil and season with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. In batches, cook the eggplant for about 3 mins on either side until well marked and softened. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool until just warm.

Lightly brush a baking sheet with the rest of the olive oil and lay down 4 slices of aubergine. Spoon 1/2 tsp. of pesto over the top of each one, spread it slightly then top with 1 to 2 basil leaves. Layer a slice of mozzarella over the top followed by more pesto and basil leaves then place a slice of tomato over the top. Spread 1/2 tsp. pesto over the tomato and top with basil leaves, then add a slice of mozzarella and finally end the stack with a slice of eggplant.

Combine the cheese and the breadcrumbs, if using, in a small bowl and sprinkle over the tops of the stacks, dividing the mixture equally between them. Bake for 15 mins until the tops are golden and the mozzarella is beginning to melt and ooze.

Serve immediately with some store-bought marinara sauce on the side, if desired, and plenty of fresh, crusty bread.

Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb
Serves 4

2 medium eggplant
3 Tbs. olive oil
3/4 lb. ground lamb
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 x 14-1/2 oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1/2 x can of 15 oz. garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
4 Tbs. freshly grated Parmesan

Pre-heat the oven to 380F. Halve the eggplant and carefully scoop or cut out the flesh leaving a border of about ¼-inch . Dice the flesh and set aside. Place the shells on a baking tray, drizzle a 1/4 Tbs. olive oil into each eggplant half and bake for 10 mins until softened. Remove from the oven, and set aside. Keep the oven on.

Heat 1 Tbs. of olive oil in a pan and brown the ground lamb. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the remaining  Tbs. of oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the spices and the diced eggplant.

Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste. Bring the mixture to the boil, then lower the heat, stir in the garbanzo beans and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes until the mixture has reduced and is almost completely dry. Stir in the cilantro, remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Spoon the meat mixture into the eggplant halves, mounding it to fit in as much as possible. Sprinkle the parmesan evenly over the tops. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve  the stuffed eggplant with rice or a mixed salad.

Stir-fried Five Spice Duck with Plums and Eggplant
If you can’t find duck breast, substitute with chicken breast, or you could use cubed lamb instead.
Serves 2-4

For the sauce
3 Tbs. chinese plum sauce
1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. dark soy

2 skinless duck breasts, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. five spice powder
2 Tbs. vegetable or peanut oil1 medium onion, sliced
1 small to medium eggplant, quartered and sliced
2 plums, stoned and cut into wedges

Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside.

Place the duck in a bowl and sprinkle over the five spice powder, a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground pepper. Rub well into the duck.

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the duck in batches and cook until sealed and browned all over. Remove and set aside.

Add the onion to the pan, with a little more oil if necessary and cook for 2 minutes until softened and golden Add the aubergine with a good sprinkling of water and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Return the duck to the wok or pan and stir well. Add the sauce ingredients, reduce the heat and simmer for a further 3-4 minutes, covered, until the aubergine is just tender.

Remove the lid then stir in the plum slices. Cook for 2 minutes then check the seasoning, adding more salt or soy if necessary. Serve immediately with rice, or egg noodles.

Tags: eggplant, recipes