Mediterranean Eggplant Steaks And Orzo Salad With Walnuts Oregano And Tomatoes Recipes

MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT STEAKS AND ORZO SALAD WITH WALNUTS, OREGANO AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat grill pan to medium-high. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place a pot of water on stove to boil for pasta. Salt water and cook orzo to al dente.
• Brush the eggplant steaks lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and season liberally on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill 3 to 4 minutes for small eggplant and 4 to 6 minutes for large eggplant, turning occasionally, until the steaks begin to become tender but are not fully cooked.
• While eggplant cooks, defrost spinach in microwave on defrost setting, 7 to 8 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet and add roasted peppers and garlic. Squeeze the spinach dry and separate as you add it to the skillet. Season the spinach with salt and pepper and heat through. Stir in olives and remove from heat. Place the eggplants on baking sheets. Top each steak with a few forkfuls of spinach mixture. Spread a few rounded spoonfuls of hummus evenly across the steaks on top of the spinach, covering it completely in a thin layer. Toss the bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and parsley. Divide the bread crumbs and scatter them over the steaks on top of the hummus. Bake to brown bread crumbs, 5 minutes or so.
• Toast walnuts while you cut up the tomatoes and place in a bowl. Cool nuts slightly, chop and add to tomatoes. Add the zest and juice of a lemon, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, feta and oregano. Drain pasta, toss with tomato mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve 2 steaks per person with orzo alongside.

CHICKPEA ORZO SALAD WITH HARISSA-ROASTED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Make the eggplant: Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and harissa, then mix in the eggplant cubes and red pepper to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer vegetables to one of the baking sheets and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and charred in places.
• Meanwhile, make the orzo: Bring a medium pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook to al dente according to package instructions. Drain, add to a large bowl, and mix with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Set aside to cool slightly while you finish cooking.
• Spread the walnuts on the other baking sheet and toast in the hot oven (alongside the vegetables if you have room) for 4 to 6 minutes, until they're fragrant and the skin is papery. (Watch carefully: These burn easily!) Roughly chop.
• To the big bowl with the warm orzo, add the roasted vegetables. Then add the chickpeas, walnuts, olives, herbs and mozzarella. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust as necessary. Stir in an additional dollop of harissa, if you'd like. Serve over a bed of greens for a more traditional salad.

MEDITERRANEAN ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 9 minutes. Drain well. Rinse with cold water and drain well again.
• Combine orzo, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, olives, and Asiago cheese in a large bowl.
• Whisk garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl to make the vinaigrette. Drizzle over the orzo mixture and toss lightly to combine. Add basil and parsley and mix well. Let sit for 20 minutes for flavors to blend, stirring occasionally.

MANOURI, EGGPLANT AND ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orzo according to the package directions. Drain, toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Let cool in the refrigerator.
• Toss the eggplant with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and place in a colander set over a bowl or in a sink. Put several bowls or plates on top of the eggplant and let drain for at least 30 minutes.
• Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. In a heavy 10-inch skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and the canola oil over medium heat. Squeeze the excess liquid from the eggplant, blot with paper towels and toss in a bowl with the flour. In two batches, fry the eggplant until the cubes are crisp and golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the prepared baking sheet. (Add a little extra oil to the pan for the second batch, as needed.)
• In a large bowl, toss the orzo with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the lemon juice and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Fold in the olives, peppers, mint, dill, basil and manouri. Taste and adjust for seasoning with additional salt, pepper, lemon juice or olive oil. Just before serving, toss in the fried eggplant.