Roasted Eggplant And Pepper Salad With Pita Bread And Sesame Spread Recipes

Steps:

• To make the salad:
• Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 450°F. Spray large heavy baking sheet with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Combine eggplant, peppers, garlic and oil in large bowl. Toss well. Transfer to prepared sheet. Bake until eggplant is brown and vegetables are tender, stirring every 10 minutes, about 50 minutes. Remove garlic and reserve. Scrape vegetables and all pan juices into bowl.
• Combine vinegar, cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne in processor. Peel roasted garlic; add to processor. Puree until smooth. Toss vegetable mixture with 1/4 cup garlic dressing. Cool, tossing occasionally. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill vegetables and remaining dressing separately. Bring to room temperature.)
• Mound salad in center of large platter. Surround with pita wedges. Serve, passing remaining dressing and Sesame Spread separately.
• To make the sesame spread:
• Beat margarine, sesame seeds and salt to blend in small bowl. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pour the olive oil into a baking sheet and top with a single layer of eggplant slices. Turn to coat both sides with the oil and sprinkle liberally with salt. Place in the center of the oven and roast until completely tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and arrange in a single layer on a serving platter.
• Place the peppers directly on the burners of a gas range or grill and char on all sides, rotating with a pair of tongs. Remove from the heat and place them in the refrigerator to cool, 10 minutes. Use a paper towel to wipe off the charred skin. Remove the seeds and slice the pepper flesh into thin strips. Arrange over the top of the eggplant.
• Whisk together the soy, ginger, sesame oil, vinegar and garlic in a medium bowl. Taste for seasoning. Sprinkle the vinaigrette over the eggplant and peppers and top with the sesame seeds.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly oil a foil-lined baking sheet. Place bell peppers, cut-sides down, on the baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until beginning to char, about 45 minutes.
• While peppers roast, score eggplant flesh deeply in a diamond cross-hatch pattern with the tip of a knife. Press on the edges of the halves to open the cuts and sprinkle salt over the surface and into the cuts. Set aside, cut-sides up, for 30 minutes.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently squeeze the eggplant over the sink to extract the salty juice and wipe them dry with a paper towel. Brush each half with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange each half, cut-side down, on the lined baking sheet.
• Remove bell peppers from the oven and cover with a dish towel. Let stand for 5 minutes. Leave the oven on.
• Roast eggplant in the preheated oven until tender, about 45 minutes. Peel, seed, and slice the peppers while eggplant is roasting.
• Whisk 3 tablespoons olive oil, balsamic, garlic, and chili sauce together in a separate bowl. Slice 4 artichoke hearts; reserve any remaining artichoke hearts for another use.
• Let eggplant cool for at least 20 minutes before handling. Turn flesh-side up. Use a kitchen knife to scrape the flesh from the skin. Divide the flesh along the score lines into cubes. Discard skin.
• Combine eggplant, bell peppers, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl. Sprinkle with pepper. Pour dressing over vegetables and mix together. Garnish with basil leaves.

Steps:

• Eggplant:
• Heat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Poke holes in eggplants with a fork. Roast until they collapse, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut open, scoop out flesh into a bowl and discard skins. Mix flesh with 4 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Let sit 10 minutes. Place flesh in a fine-mesh strainer; press gently with a large spoon, squeezing out moisture. Chop eggplant. Mix in peppers, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, chives, basil, oil and remaining 2 tablespoon lemon juice. Add salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Yogurt sauce:
• Mix ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
• Pita chips:
• Reduce heat to 350°F. Coat 1 side of each pita wedge with cooking spray. Sprinkle each sprayed side with Parmesan, seeds and black pepper. Bake on foil until crisp, 6 to 7 minutes. Serve eggplant with pita chips and yogurt sauce on the side.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add remaining olive oil to the skillet; add eggplant and bell pepper. Saute until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add tomato, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper; cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Return sauteed onion to the skillet. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Transfer eggplant mixture to a baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Cool before serving, about 1 hour.