Eggplant Madness - Kabob
October 04, 2007
Now that I have about 4 pounds of varietal eggplants, I need to start eating them - quickly! My first feast on eggplant this week was on vegetable kabob. My grilling abilities aren't that great, so my boyfriend manned the fire.I cut up one eggplant of each variety we bought (Dourga or white eggplant, Japanese, and Belangere which is streaked purple and white, and is the size of a baseball), I then skewered about 6 pieces on each kabob skewer. I also made other vegetable kabobs with mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes.
The kabobs were brushed with olive oil, garlic, ginger, shallots, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. The skewers cooked for about 10 minutes and we devoured them in 5! If you don't have access to a grill, but still want the same yummy texture, I suggest tossing chopped veggies in the following marinade and placing on a roasting pan (or cookie sheet) to bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees.
Marinade:
- 1/2 c olive oil
- 4 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
While whipping the olive oil with a wire whisk, slowly drizzle the balsamic in the bowl. Once incorporated completely, add remaining ingredients. Brush marinade on to kabob or toss veggies in marinade if baking. Cook over grill on high heat for 10 minutes, or in the oven on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until eggplant is tender and slightly crispy on the outside.
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1 shallot, minced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, minced
While whipping the olive oil with a wire whisk, slowly drizzle the balsamic in the bowl. Once incorporated completely, add remaining ingredients. Brush marinade on to kabob or toss veggies in marinade if baking. Cook over grill on high heat for 10 minutes, or in the oven on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until eggplant is tender and slightly crispy on the outside.If your eggplant has a lot of seeds and is larger than your hand, it may be bitter (the bigger the more bitter). My boyfriend will cut up eggplant and then dash kosher or sea salt all over it to remove the bitterness, allowing it to "rest" for 10 minutes prior to cooking. This really does work, so give it a try if your eggplant makes you squint when you eat it.
Can't thing of what to eat your veggie feast on? I highly suggest either a rice pilaf, or cous cous. As I've mentioned elsewhere on this blog, Near East brand cous cous is as easy and flavorful as it gets. I think the curry flavor goes really well with roasted vegetables, and pairs best with this easy-prep meal.
