Roasted Eggplant And Tomato Napoleons With Black Olive Dressing Recipes

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO STACKS

Steps:

• In a large bowl toss the eggplant slices with 1/4 cup kosher salt. Using your fingertips, evenly distribute the salt on both sides of each slice. Place the eggplant in a colander set over a large bowl or sheet pan to catch juices. Set aside for 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line two 18 by 13-inch baking sheets with heavy-duty foil.
• Rinse the eggplant under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on one baking sheet. Brush olive oil on 1 side. Brush with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.
• Drizzle the other pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with the minced garlic.
• Roast the tomatoe slices until they are very soft and just beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes, without turning. Bake the eggplant slices until they are tender and well browned, 20 to 30 minutes, without turning. Let the tomato and eggplant slices cool until you can handle them with your fingers.
• Make a short stack starting with eggplant on the bottom, 1 slice mozzarella, and then tomato. Top with another piece of eggplant. Warm stacks in the oven until mozzarella lightly melts. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

EGGPLANT & TOMATO NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Drizzle 2 Tbsp. dressing over tomatoes in shallow dish; set aside. Beat egg and water in pie plate until well blended. Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan in separate pie plate. Combine mozzarella, remaining dressing and basil.
• Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Meanwhile, dip each eggplant slice in egg mixture, then in crumb mixture, turning to evenly to coat both sides of each slice. Add, in batches, to skillet; cook 3 to 4 min. on each side or until golden brown, adding remaining oil as needed. Transfer to plate.
• Place 1 eggplant slice on each of 4 serving plates; top each with 1 tomato slice and about 3 Tbsp. mozzarella mixture. Repeat all layers. Cover with remaining eggplant slices.

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO SUBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a small pot, heat about 1/2 cup of the extra-virgin olive oil with the crushed garlic, rosemary sprigs, and red pepper flakes. Let the oil infuse over low heat for a couple minutes.
• Meanwhile, arrange cooling racks over 2 rimmed baking sheets. Trim the tops and bottoms of the eggplants and thinly slice the eggplants and the tomatoes. Brush the eggplant with seasoned oil, using a pastry brush, and arrange the slices on 1 of the racks. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on the other rack and season both the eggplant and tomatoes with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast until the eggplant is tender and slightly shriveled up, about 15 minutes.
• While the eggplant and tomatoes roast, add the basil, parsley, nuts, Parmigiano, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. With the processor running, stream in about 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil to form a thick pesto. Arrange about 1/2 cup of arugula leaves on each sub roll bottom. Top with layered slices of roasted eggplant, mozzarella, and roasted tomatoes. Spread some pesto on the roll tops and set in place. Cut the subs in half and serve.

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO NAPOLEONS WITH BLACK OLIVE DRESSING

Steps:

• For the black olive dressing, combine all ingredients and allow to sit for at least 2 hours, covered and refrigerated, for flavors to develop. For the poached garlic in the basil puree, place unpeeled garlic cloves in a small saucepan and cover by 1-inch of cold water. Bring to a boil, drain and repeat process 2 more times. Remove husk from garlic, chop. For the basil puree, blanch the basil in lightly salted boiling water for about 5 seconds. Remove and immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. Drain well, squeeze dry and chop. Add to a blender along with poached garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and enough stock to make a smooth puree. Store in refrigerator.;
• To oven dry tomatoes for napoleons, cut tomatoes in half and remove stems. With your fingers gently squeeze and remove the seeds. Lightly oil a baking sheet, place tomatoes and season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Place in a preheated 225 degree oven for 3 to 4 hours or until tomatoes are somewhat shriveled and have the faintest bit of color on them. For the napoleons, slice the eggplants into 12 (1/2-inch) thick rounds and generously paint both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400 degree oven until cooked through and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Oil, season and roast remaining vegetables in the same manner and set aside. Be sure not to overcook, vegetables should still have some texture. To assemble the napoleons, on a lightly oiled baking sheet start with a round of eggplant and top with slices of zucchini, onions, peppers, mushrooms and oven dried tomatoes and cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with an eggplant slice for each napoleon. Place a rosemary spear in the center of each napoleon to hold it together. To serve, Place baking sheet with napoleons in a preheated 375 degree oven for a few minutes to warm through and barely melt cheese. Place on warm plates and spoon the black olive dressing around. Top with drops of the reduced Balsamic vinegar, fresh basil puree and garnish with herb sprigs. Serve immediately.;

CAPONATINA SICILIANA (EGGPLANT, OLIVE, AND CELERY APPETIZER)

Steps:

• Trim the eggplants, cut them into 1-inch cubes, and transfer them to a colander. Sprinkle with salt and let them stand for 30 minutes. Rinse, drain well, and pat dry. In a bowl, combine the black olives, green olives, and capers. Cover with warm water and let them plump for 20 minutes. Drain well. In a saucepan of boiling water, blanch the celery for 1 to 2 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and pat dry. In a large skillet set over moderately high heat, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil until hot. Add the eggplant in small batches and cook it, stirring occasionally and adding 3 to 4 tablespoons of water to prevent sticking, until just tender and golden brown. Transfer the fried eggplant to a bowl and, adding oil and water as needed, fry the remaining eggplant. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and heat until hot over moderate heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, just until tender. Add the tomato sauce, 2 cups of water, the reserved eggplant, olives, capers, celery, and salt and pepper. Simmer the mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and vinegar, stirring until dissolved. Add the sugar mixture to the eggplant mixture and stir to combine. Transfer the caponatina to a bowl, let it cool to room temperature, and chill it, covered, for 1 to 2 days to allow the flavors to blend.