Honey Garlic Grilled Eggplant

I have mentioned before that I am not a huge eggplant fan. However my husband loves it-I'd even go as far as saying that prepared correctly it is his favorite food. I am happy to make it and will from time to time try it. On occasion I even like it. This was one of those times. I made honey garlic grilled eggplant with an eggplant I had sitting in the fridge. The only change I made was I didn't include the chili as I didn't have any.

1 eggplant (2 if using small Italian eggplants)
1 Tbls. Honey
2 Tbls. Olive oil
2 Garlic Cloves, mashed
2 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and pepper

Peel stripes of skin off the eggplant to create a zebra like pattern of skin and no-skin. This is not only decorative, but makes the skin easier to bite. Slice eggplant into ½ inch thick circles. Lay out a large sheet of paper towels. Sprinkle eggplant generously with salt on both sides and lay out on paper towels. The eggplant will release a lot of liquid. This will help get rid of bitterness (if any) and make the eggplant more succulent and less watery after it’s cooked. Let sit for 15 minutes, then dry both sides well with paper towels.
In a large bowl, mix honey, olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Dunk both sides of each eggplant slice into this marinade.
Preheat the grill to high. Grab a wad of paper towel with tongs, dip it in oil, and brush it on the grill.
Place the eggplant slices on the grill, cover, and turn down the heat to medium. Grill until marked, about 3 minutes. Turn 90 degrees to make cross-hatch grill marks. Grill until marked, about 3 more minutes.
Brush the slices with remaining marinade, flip and repeat the grilling procedure on the other side. Regulate heat so that the eggplant is browning, but not burning. Remove to a plate, and drizzle with olive oil.

Baba Ganosh Take Two

A while back I posted a Baba Ganosh recipe that we really liked. I had some eggplant sitting in my fridge and decided to try another Baba Ganosh and we found another winner. The only change I made to this recipe was I didn't char the eggplant prior to roasting. Otherwise it was delicious.

3 medium-sized Eggplants
1/2 cup (130g) Tahini (roasted sesame paste)
1 1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
3 Tbls. Lemon Juice
3 Cloves Garlic, peeled and smashed
1/8 tsp. Chili Powder
1 Tbls. Olive Oil
a half bunch picked flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re completely soft; you should be able to easily poke a paring knife into them and meet no resistance. Remove from oven and let cool. Split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp. Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients until smooth. Taste, and season with additional salt and lemon juice, if necessary. Chill for a few hours before serving.

Baba Ganoush

I do not like eggplant. My husband loves it but I don't. I have tried it prepared many different ways: fried, battered, in tomato sauce, lasagna, parmagean, roasted, grilled-you name it I have tried it but I just can't get on board. This doesn't mean I don't cook it-I just don't eat it. However there is one way I like eggplant. That is in the form of Baba Ganoush. Something about this salad makes the eggplant delicious to me. So when I saw this recipe for Baba Ganoush I had to try it. I had never thought about making Baba Ganoush before and when I saw how simple it was I couldn't believe it. The only change I made to the recipe was I didn't use paprika as all I had was sweet paprika and I didn't think it was an appropriate substitute for smoky.

1 Eggplant
2 Tbls. Tahina
1 Clove Garlic, minced
lemon juice, to taste
Pinch Smoked Paprika, optional
salt, pepper
Pinch Cumin

Roast eggplant at 425 degrees until black, softened and oozing juice, about 45 minutes. Mash eggplant pulp (remove skin) with rest of ingredients.