Eggplant is most famous for using as a substitute for meat in any lasagne recipe. Same goes with any casserole. I have not tried it in many years and never cooked with it until the other day.
I found a recipe where you take 1/2" slices of eggplant and slices of tomato; sprinkle with salt and pepper or other seasonings and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450' degrees for 45 minutes. After 30 minutes the tomato was nicely roasted but the eggplant was obviously not cooked. So I ate the tomatoes and then sliced the eggplant like french fries and fried them. They tasted like I remembered them.
My next experiment will be:
Tacos
Here is a recipe I found for Grilled Bread with Eggplant and Basil
Making the eggplant spread ahead of time has a double upside: The flavors of the mixture will deepen as it sits, and you get to cross something off the list.
8 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram or oregano leaves
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 large eggplant (about 1 lb.), cut into ¾” pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
8 slices ¾”-thick country-style bread
½ cup torn fresh basil leaves
1 oz. Parmesan, shaved
Preparation:
Heat 4 Tbsp. oil in a large
skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, marjoram, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until garlic is softened but not browned, about 2 minutes.
Add eggplant to skillet and cook, tossing occasionally, until just starting to brown, 8–10 minutes. Add ½ cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until eggplant is very soft, 10–15 minutes. Let cool slightly; mix in lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.
Meanwhile, prepare grill for medium-high heat. Brush both sides of bread with remaining 4 Tbsp. oil and grill until lightly charred, about 2 minutes per side.
Spoon eggplant mixture on toast and top with basil and Parmesan; cut toast in half.
DO AHEAD: Eggplant can be cooked 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.
Some info that I found:
It shines with a sprinkling of garam masala or a hint of oregano, but you can use it in just about any stir-fry, dip, salad, or pasta your heart desires - in just about any cuisine, too. Grilling eggplant really intensifies the flavor, and in the summertime when kitchens are hot and charcoal's smoldering, it's one of our favorite ways to prepare it.
"Eggplant is like a sponge," If you don't treat it right, you'll wind up with a soggy mess that tastes exclusively of oil, and is definitely not crispy. Left to its own devices, this veggie will absorb an enormous amount of fat, so take preventative measures: Coat the cubes or slices with egg and breadcrumbs to form a barrier between the oil and eggplant, or lightly coat them with oil and broil until browned and crispy.
How do you know if an eggplant is ripe? It's all about visual cues. Discerning farmers' market shoppers may be used to sniffing and gently squeezing produce to suss out what's ready for the taking, but if an eggplant is squishy or its skin dimples with a little pressure, it's past its prime. Ripe eggplants at the peak of perfection are firm, with shiny and taut skin. To keep yours fresh and perky, definitely store it in the fridge, but there's no need to fuss over it with damp paper towels or a prime spot in the crisper.