Grilled Eggplant Syrian Pizza
Grilled Eggplant Syrian Pizza is tender slices of smoky, grilled eggplant topped with a beef paste seasoned with warm spices and herbs. Based on lahmacun, pronounced “lahma’joun”, derived from the Arabic lahma bi’ajeen, which translates as “dough with meat.” The thin, crispy flatbreads, topped with seasoned meat paste, are a popular street food in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa; its cognomen is Syrian pizza, though depending on the geography, it is also called Turkish pizza, Lebanese pizza, you get the picture. Traditionally, the recipe uses ground lamb and a simple dough which is baked into flatbreads; Grilled Eggplant Syrian Pizza uses ground beef, as it is more accessible and popular to Western tastes, and grilled eggplant slices in place of the flatbread, in a nod to carbohydrate and gluten consciousness. We first encountered traditional lahmacun when we lived in Brooklyn Heights; lower Atlantic Avenue was one street away and filled with Arabic grocery stores, bakeries and restaurants, most of which sold lahmacun as take-away, much like slices of pizza. Grilled Eggplant Syrian Pizza is faithful to its roots while extending the culinary horizon of this dish; enjoy it with a side of Grilled Asparagus.
Total Time: 1 hour. Serves 4.
Support Cook and Eat at Home. Purchase a PDF of the Grilled Eggpland Syrian Pizza recipe for $1.00.
Ajvar Eggplant Red Pepper Spread
Ajvar Eggplant Red Pepper Spread (pronounced “eye-var), is a Balkan dish similar to Baba Ghanouj or Hummus. Eggplant and red peppers are grilled, then puréed with other ingredients and then the purée is added to hot fragrantly seasoned olive oil for a final finishing touch. We prefer to prepare our Ajvar Eggplant Red Pepper Spread with a little less tomato element versus other recipes to allow the eggplant and pepper to take center stage. Aromatic, brilliantly colored and intensely flavorful, Ajvar Eggplant Red Pepper Spread is rather irresistible. Serve Ajvar Eggplant Red Pepper Spread with warm pitas, flatbread or naan as part of a colorful, international mezze plate with Tuna Tapenade, Cream Cheese Celery Sticks, olives and cheeses.
Total Time: 1 hour. Yields 2 cups.
Support Cook and Eat at Home. Purchase a PDF of the Ajvar Eggplant Red Pepper Spread recipe for $1.00.
Thai Basil Chicken and Eggplant
Thai Basil Chicken and Eggplant is very tasty and surprisingly simple dish to make. It utilizes the classic combo of Thai cooking, salty, sweet and sour, along with the heat of the chilis, to produce very satisfying results. Feel free to include additional Thai chilis, if you like; this dish is prepared for “American hot” taste, as the Thai like to say. Serve Thai Basil Chicken and Eggplant on a platter or deep serving bowl for an elegant presentation.
Marinade Prep Time: 30 minutes, Meal Prep Time: 30 minutes, Cooking Time: 25 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes plus marinating time. Serves 4.
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Grilled Pasta alla Norma
Lush and smoky, Grilled Pasta alla Norma, is our take on this classic Sicilian dish, said to be a favorite of the 19th century composer Vincenzo Bellini and named for his greatest opera heroine. Bellini was a native of Catania, Sicily as was Vito’s paternal grandmother. Here we grill the eggplant, yielding a deep, smoky element, prior to incorporating it into the sauce. Start with our Sicilian Orange Salad, then have our Grilled Pasta alla Norma with penne, ziti or rigatoni pasta, topped with freshly grated ricotta salata, and accompanied by a Nero d’Avolo or Primitivo for a Sicilian themed dinner.
Prep Time: 20 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes. Serves: 4.
Support Cook and Eat at Home. Purchase a PDF of the Grilled Pasta alla Norma recipe for $1.00
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Indonesian Eggplant (Brinjal Goreng)
Fantastic and colorful Indonesian Eggplant (Brinjal Goreng) is easy to prepare and a great vegetable dish to add to your culinary repertoire. Eggplant, also known as aubergine, garden egg and brinjal, is one of the most versatile vegetables and popular around the world; and yes, it’s actually a fruit. Indonesian Eggplant (Brinjal Goreng) is normally quite spicy and hot. We’ve toned down the heat a bit but feel free to increase it to your taste. Indonesian Eggplant (Brinjal Goreng) is great served as a side dish with Balinese Pork Kerrie Ketjap or Indonesian Chicken (Satay Ayam) or other grilled meats or fish. Indonesian Eggplant also makes a delicious main course accompanied by fresh, hot rice. Leftovers, if any, will keep refrigerated for a day or two, but the flavor will decrease significantly and its vibrant color will diminish too, so eat up!
Prep Time: 15 minutes, Total Time: 30 minutes Serves: 4
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Grilled Bruschetta Two Ways
Grilled Bruschetta Two Ways updates the popular Italian appetizer with all the flavors of summer. With one bite, you can taste the summer sun-ripened elements all brought together into a savory symphony.
Here we expand on the usual bread base by toasting the bread on the grill and complimenting them with grilled eggplant slices too. Grilling the bread and eggplant bases gives this bruschetta an added depth of flavor. The colorful and tasty dressing sauce adds flavor complexity and “Zip”, as Vito’s Mom would say.
Serve Grilled Bruschetta Two Ways to your guests as an appetizer before Chicken Abruzzese at your next dinner party or pass a platter of this bruschetta around at your backyard barbecue, either way, it’s a sure crowd-pleaser.
Prep Time: 30 minutes, Total Time 60 minutes Yield: 6 – 8 servings
Support Cook and Eat at Home. Purchase a PDF of the Grilled Bruschetta Two Ways recipe for $1.00
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