Eggplant Sandwiches With Fontina Cheese And Sun Dried Tomatoes Recipes

EGGPLANT SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat your oven's broiler. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil, and place them on a baking sheet or broiling pan. Place the pan about 6 inches from the heat source. Cook under the broiler for 10 minutes, or until tender and toasted.
• Split the French rolls lengthwise, and toast. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and garlic. Spread this mixture on the toasted bread. Fill the rolls with eggplant slices, tomato, feta cheese and basil leaves.

ROASTED EGGPLANT & SUN-DRIED TOMATO SPREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut off the stem ends of the eggplants, then cut into 1-inch cubes and place in an oven-proof covered casserole dish.
• Place the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, paste and water, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes into a small food processor and pulse until blended.
• Dump the tomato mixture over the eggplant cubes and toss to coat well.
• Roast the eggplant covered for 30 minutes, then stir well and cook another 30 minutes. Stir again and return to oven until the eggplant is very soft, about 20 minutes. (Fresher, young eggplant will take longer)
• Let the eggplant mixture sit covered until it is room temperature.
• Taste, then adjust the seasonings as needed.
• Serve with slices of crusty Italian bread.

SHRIMP WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat broiler; rack should be 2 to 4 inches from heat source and the heat as high as possible.
• Put oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add thyme, garlic, tomatoes and capers. Cook just until mixture sizzles, then add stock or wine; raise heat and bring to a boil. Cook for about a minute, then add shrimp, turning them in sauce.
• Put skillet under broiler and cook until shrimp are done, 3 to 5 minutes, turning once. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, garnish with basil, and serve hot or warm.

BAKED EGGPLANT SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Slice the eggplant into rounds slightly thinner than ¼ inch.
• Place the rounds into a colander and sprinkle them with salt. Let the eggplant sit for about 30 minutes to draw out moisture and bitterness. Rinse the rounds and pat them dry with paper towels.
• Place rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Place the eggplant rounds on a flat surface, lining them up in rows with like-sized slices paired together. Tear the provolone into small pieces. Cover half of the eggplant slices with a layer of the torn provolone.
• Drain the sun dried tomatoes of their excess oil. Place a sun dried tomato on top of each of the provolone-covered eggplant slices. Divide half of the fresh chopped parsley between the eggplant slices, sprinkling a little parsley onto the top of each sun dried tomato. Season the piled slices with salt and pepper.
• Use the rest of the empty eggplant slices to cover the piled slices, making small eggplant sandwiches.
• In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs or almond meal and grated parmesan. If using almond meal, you will need twice as much of the breading mixture (twice the almond meal, twice the parmesan), as the almond meal tends to clump a bit during the breading process. The parmesan should be finely grated to a powdery texture; if your parmesan is shredded, pulse it in a food processor till powdery. In a small mixing bowl, beat the eggs (start with 2-you may or may not end up needing one more). Grease a nonstick baking sheet. Gather the eggplant sandwiches, two bowls, and baking sheet together.
• Grab one sandwich at a time, grasping firmly in the center to hold it together. Dip the sandwich in the beaten eggs, making sure it is completely covered on all sides with a thin layer of egg. Let any excess egg drip back into the bowl.Immediately coat the sandwich in the breadcrumb or almond meal mixture, making sure to coat the sides and edges evenly. Place the breaded sandwich on the greased baking sheet. Repeat till all sandwiches have been dipped and breaded.
• Drizzle the coated sandwiches lightly with the olive oil, dividing it evenly between the sandwiches.
• Bake in preheated oven on the middle rack for 35-40 minutes, flipping once halfway through baking, till the sandwiches are golden brown. Serve them warm sprinkled with the remaining chopped parsley. Optionally, top each sandwich with 2 tbsp warm marinara or arrabiata sauce, then with parsley.

EGGPLANT AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO SPREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
• Cut off and discard top of garlic head to expose cloves. Brush top of head with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Wrap garlic in foil and roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Cool to warm, then squeeze garlic cloves from skins into a small bowl, discarding skins.
• Meanwhile, cut eggplant into 1/2-inch pieces and toss with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large colander. Let drain 30 minutes. Squeeze eggplant in a kitchen towel to remove liquid.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté one third of eggplant until browned and tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Cook remaining eggplant in olive oil in same manner (in 2 batches), transferring to bowl.
• Add 1 cup cooked eggplant to garlic and coarsely mash together. Stir into remaining eggplant with sun-dried tomatoes (without tomato oil), parsley, basil, lemon juice, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Season with salt and drizzle with tomato oil.
• What to drink:
• Artezin Mendocino Zinfandel '07 or Château de Chamirey Mercurey Rouge '07

EGGPLANT MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Peel the eggplant, cut it into 1-inch cubes and arrange them in a single layer on a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat large baking sheet with nonstick spray. Blot the eggplant with paper towels and arrange the cubes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil (1 to 2 tablespoons), season with freshly ground pepper and roast until tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
• While the eggplant roasts, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the conchiglie and cook until tender but not soft (al dente). Drain and set aside.
• Heat the milk in the microwave or a separate saucepan until very warm, but not scalded. Set aside.
• Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the flour and mix well. Continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and golden in color. Gradually add the warmed milk, whisking continually until well blended.
• Continue cooking, whisking frequently, until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 7 to 8 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the pan with a spatula once or twice during cooking to ensure there are no lumps in your sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Reduce the heat to low, add the fontina and stir until completely melted. Add the goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and chives. Stir until creamy and smooth, then add the macaroni and reserved eggplant. Combine well, remove from the heat and allow to stand 5 minutes. Stir again, then serve.

GRILLED EGGPLANT, TOMATO AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat grill for medium heat.
• In a large bowl, coat eggplant with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange half of the eggplant slices on a tray. Place a slice of tomato and a slice of goat cheese on each slice of eggplant. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the tomatoes and cheese. Top with remaining slices of eggplant, and secure each bundle with a toothpick.
• Lightly oil the grill grate. Remove toothpicks, and arrange bundles on grate. Cook about 7 to 8 minutes, then carefully flip. Continue cooking for 6 to 7 minutes.

BAKED PENNE WITH EGGPLANT AND FONTINA

Steps:

• Halve each tomato crosswise, then squeeze or scoop out the seeds into a strainer set over a bowl to catch the juices. Dice the tomatoes. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over a medium flame. When it shimmers, add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, chile flakes, and salt, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 2 more minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until broken down and reduced to a thick sauce, about 30 minutes. You may need to reduce the flame to prevent splatters. Add splashes of wine or water if the pan looks dry before the tomatoes have broken down.
• When the sauce is done, let it cool slightly, then pass it through a food mill to puree it smooth and remove the skins.
• While the sauce is cooking, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400º. Toss together the eggplant, olive oil and salt, and place on an oiled baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until the eggplant is very soft and golden, 20-25 minutes, flipping the slices over when the bottoms begin to brown. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375ºWhen the eggplant is cool, cut each round into bite-sized pieces.
• Cook the penne according to the package instructions in well-salted water until al dente. Drain well. (If you're not baking the pasta right away, rinse it in cool water, drain well, and toss with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.)
• In a large bowl, toss together the penne, sauce, eggplant, basil, parsley, olives, fontina and provolone. Taste for seasoning, adding salt or pepper if you like, then spread the pasta in an oiled 2 1/2-3 quart baking dish (such as a 9x13" lasagna pan). Cover with a good layer of freshly-grated parmesan.
• Cover the dish with a lid or foil, and bake until the pasta is hot and the cheese is melty and gooey, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately, topped with more parmesan and small basil leaves.
• Leftovers will keep for several days, tightly covered, in the fridge. Reheat before eating.

EGGPLANT SANDWICHES WITH FONTINA CHEESE AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• If desired, trim off and discard the skin of each eggplant round. Place each round on a flat surface and hold a knife parallel to the surface. Cut each round in half, splitting each sandwichlike almost but not through to the end. Leave a small hinge at one end of each round. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Fill each sandwich with a round of Fontina cheese and top each piece of cheese with a sun-dried tomato. Close each sandwich.
• Dip each sandwich in flour and shake off excess. Beat the egg with water and dredge each sandwich, bottom and sides, in the mixture. Dredge each sandwich, bottom and sides, in bread crumbs to coat thoroughly. Shake off excess.
• Fill a heavy skillet with oil to a depth of about half an inch. Heat until the temperature on a fat thermometer is about 375 degrees. Add the sandwiches in one layer and cook, turning occasionally, about three minutes or until each round is golden brown and cooked through. Drain on absorbent paper towels. Serve, if desired, with tomato sauce or garlic, oil and anchovy sauce.

EGGPLANT STEAKS WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• 1. Trim the ends from the eggplants and peel off the skin. Cut each eggplant lengthwise into four or more 1/2-inch-thick slices. (Some of the slices will be smaller than others, but all should be of equal thickness.) If needed, trim a thin slice from each of the rounded sides so the pieces will lie flat on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the slices with coarse salt and layer in a colander to drain for at least 30 minutes or for up to 2 hours. Rinse the eggplant slices under cold running water and dry well with paper towels, pressing to remove as much moisture as possible.
• 2. Preheat the broiler and position the oven rack about 4 inches from the heat. Line a large heavy baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the eggplant slices on the sheet in a single layer and brush both sides with oil. Broil for 7 to 9 minutes, turning once, until the eggplant is tender and lightly browned on both sides. Leave the broiler on.
• 3. Meanwhile, combine the goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives in a small bowl. Toss gently to mix. Divide the mixture evenly over the broiled eggplant slices. Sprinkle the Pecorino Romano cheese evenly over each slice and return to the oven. Broil for 1 minute, or until the goat cheese has softened and the grated cheese is just beginning to brown at the edges. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Scatter basil over the top of each slice and serve at once.

GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO RECIPE

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the sun-dried tomatoes with their oil, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, sugar, basil, pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano and 2 tablespoons of water. Pulse, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the mixture is finely puréed.
• Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter, then flip over and spread the pesto evenly over the other side of each slice. Heat a large nonstick or cast iron pan over medium heat. Place 4 slices of bread, butter-side-down, in the pan. Divide the cheese evenly over the bread, then top the sandwiches with the remaining bread. Cook until the first side is golden brown, a few minutes. Carefully flip the sandwiches and cook until the cheese is fully melted and the bread is golden brown, a few minutes more. Let cool slightly, then slice the sandwiches in half and serve.
• Note: You'll have plenty of leftover sun-dried tomato pesto. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and can be frozen for up to 2 months. You can also try tossing the pesto with pasta; just keep in mind that the pesto is thick so you'll need to thin it with some of the pasta cooking water and a little olive oil when tossing it with the pasta.

SUN-DRIED-TOMATO, SAUSAGE, AND FONTINA PIZZA RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450°F
• In a large frying pan, cook the sausage over moderate heat, breaking it up with a fork or wooden spoon, until cooked through and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes
• Brush the sun-dried-tomato oil over the pizza shells
• Spread the sausage over the pizza shells
• Scatter the sun-dried tomatoes over the sausage, put the fontina on top, and sprinkle the Parmesan over all
• Bake the pizzas, directly on the oven rack (for a crisper crust) or on two baking sheets, until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes
• Notes: Pizza Crusts: Prebaked pizza shells offer a fantastic way to make quick weeknight pizzas
• You can even keep them in the freezer for last-minute meals
• If the shell is still frozen, either add five minutes to the cooking time or pop the naked shell in the oven for five minutes before topping it
• If you prefer to start with store-bought pizza dough or your own homemade pizza dough, simply prebake the crust before topping it
• Wine Recommendation: This pizza works well with either a white or red wine, but a pinot grigio is the best choice to echo the sausage's fennel and the fontina
• Pinot grigios have slight apple and nut flavors and enough acidity to leave the palate refreshed
• Pinot grigios have slight apple and nut flavors and enough acidity to leave the palate refreshed