Eggplant and Lamb Stew

I broke one of my rules-- I went shopping specifically for the ingredients of this Eggplant and Lamb Stew recipe.  I had practically nothing in my fridge (not even eggplant- gasp!) so everything was purchased specifically for this recipe.  I just couldn't resist.

I thought it would be a lot like my Moroccan Chicken with Eggplant Stew blog entry but it's actually quite different.  It's a little saucier, a little sweeter.  Both are definitely worth trying and have different elements fighting for attention.  In this dish it's the tomato paste, loose eggplant seeds and lamb that really make it special.  While the Moroccan recipe has more dried herbs to add flavor, this one uses allspice really well.  Even my boyfriend, who dislikes allspice in desserts, loved this soup.  And I was very happy to find a recipe that could put to use all the allspice in my cupboard.

My suggestions: like other readers on the allrecipes site, I thought the vegetables were put in too early.  I love having bell peppers and onion in soup, but they were cooked so long they couldn't hold their form.  Yet, I like how cooked the eggplant and tomato got, to achieve the consistency, texture and sweetness of the soup.  Next time I will brown the lamb for twice the time as necessary, toss in the garlic, eggplant, tomato and tomato paste, cook for 30-35 minutes, toss in the rest of the veggies, and cook additional 30-35 minutes.  I didn't think it was necessary to cook it for as long as the recipe stated.

Delicious.  Very comforting.

Eggplant & Mushroom Moussaka

The cream of this Eggplant Mushroom Moussaka is my favorite part of the dish.  Especially when fresh out of the oven, the white sauce is rich and delicious, adding such dimension to the mushroom-tomato-eggplant flavors.  I think I actually prefer this Moussaka to the one posted earlier, the Martha Stewart version.  This recipe is far less complicated and time-consuming, prompting my curiosity, and also vegetarian, which is good to have on hand in case certain hippie guests pop by.  However, I actually think it tastes more like a pizza, instead of the more subtly exotic tastes of Martha's Moussaka.  Try them both and see what you prefer!

The great thing about the cookthink blog is the step by step guide with beautiful, very colorful pictures.  It can certainly make a recipe a lot more engaging.  I only wish I had slathered on more cream for the top layer :)

Eggplant Dip

Of course I had to find an eggplant dip recipe.  I tried a few, including baba ghanoush and an olive-eggplant combination, but neither particularly highlighted the eggplant.  But then I went on to this Roasted Eggplant Dip recipe.  Its ingredients were simple and complemented the eggplant rather than overwhelmed it.

The roasted garlic, lemon, mint and olive oil added such flavor.  I also added a tiny bit of cumin and cayenne for extra kick.  Instead of chopping up the hot vegetables though, I cheated and threw them in my food processor.  Pulse until broken up, but not slushy.

With that extra shortcut, the best part about this dip is how easy it is to make.  It's very fast, simple and healthy.  Served here with orange bell peppers.

Moussaka

This was a complicated recipe but I was glad to accomplish it.  I don't believe I've ever had moussaka before, so knowing that I was able to make this rather exotic recipe was very satisfying.  It is very unique and pretty, especially the yogurt topping.  I got this healthier Moussaka recipe from wholeliving.com who yanked it from Martha Stewart Living magazine. 

My recommendation is to follow the procedures exactly AND leave yourself plenty of time to make it before you have to serve it.  The initial yogurt drain takes forever so you need at least 3 hours to complete this recipe.  The sauce was less of a sauce for me and more of a ground meet and veggies combination.  I would also add just a bit more cinnamon, nutmeg and Parmesan.

Spicy-Sweet Glazed Eggplant

This eggplant recipe is from one of my new favorite blogs: The Traveler's Lunchbox written by Melissa Kronenthal.  Melissa has a fabulously nostalgic writing style that always, strangely, puts me at peace.  Her detailed reflections on food, life and living lead perfectly into the next great recipe she's about to reveal.  In every blog entry, by the time I get to reading the recipe, I simply cannot wait to try it.  It's a great way to learn or remember your passion for food.  I really recommend it.

I've taken the pleasure of re-naming it, but it's the same recipe.  My picture is certainly not as pretty as hers is, but I also overcooked mine.  I assumed that the first frying session was the time to make sure it was thoroughly cooked.  Next time, I'll leave that to the last stage of the recipe.  Otherwise, it was really delicious and made the house smell great! 

It's sweet and spicy, as the name suggests, and I found it best cold.  The cilantro makes a big difference.  I actually put my leftover eggplant over a salad.  Yummy!

BBQ Grilled Eggplant with a Tang Twist

Have I chosen a favorite eggplant dish yet?  If not, I think THIS is it.  It's amazing in so many ways.  The combination of flavors is surprising and so satisfying.  There's the smoked flavor of barbecue grilled eggplant and the sour-sweet-spiciness of the dressing, a balance of olive oil, pickled capers, olives, and vinegar-soaked onion.  It's so good I don't think the name "Spicy Seared Eggplant" does it justice.  I will therefore call it "BBQ Grilled Eggplant with a Tang Twist." (If you oven- grill, you'll miss out some awesome flavors!)

This is the only time in all the recipes I've done that I've tried salting the eggplant beforehand.  I do surrender, and admit that it did make a difference.  The eggplant was easier to handle on the grill and not so mushy, compared to the eggplant slices I did not salt.  The difference was slight though, and could be sacrificed for the sake of time if need be.  I also used a skewer to make grilling easier.

For the dressing, of course I did some improvisations.  I used red wine vinegar in place of sherry-wine vinegar.  Now I know they're quite different, but I liked how it didn't overwhelm the rest of the flavors.  I also used Kalamata olives in place of Gaeta olives and part of a thinly sliced yellow onion in place of the shallots.  Again, it's not exactly the same, but it's up to you whether the run to the store is worth it.  I thought the onions were excellent in the vinegar.