Roasted Eggplant And Tomato Napoleons With Black Olive Dressing Recipes

Steps:

• 1. First drizzle 2 Tbsp. of the dressing over the tomatoes in a shallow dish & set aside. beat the egg & water in a pie plate until well blended. Then mix the bread crumbs & parmesan cheese in a separate pie plate. Then in a small bowl combine the mozzarella, remaining dressing & basil.
• 2. Then heat 1 Tbsp. of oil in a large nonstick frying pan on medium heat. In the mean time dip each eggplant slice in the egg mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture. Make sure to turn evenly to coat each side. Place 1 by 1 into the frying pan to cook for about 3 to 4 mins or until a golden brown. Put on a paper towel to drain off oil.
• 3. Then place 1 eggplant slice on a serving plate, top with 1 tomato slice & about 3 Tbsp. mozzarella mixture. Repeat with all layers. Cover with remaining eggplant slice.
• 4. Special Tip: Best served warm or room temperature.

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.;

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• For the vegetables: Place a grill pan over medium-high heat, or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant until tender, about 4 minutes each side. Grill the asparagus for 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally until crisp-tender. When cool enough to handle, cut the asparagus in half crosswise.
• For the filling: In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, basil, Pecorino Romano, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• To assemble: Place 4 slices eggplant on a work surface. Spread each with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture. Line 4 pieces of asparagus, side-by-side, on top. Place another slice of eggplant on top and repeat the layers. Top each napoleon with a slice of eggplant and place on a small baking sheet. Bake until warmed through, about 10 minutes, and serve.

Steps:

• Place a tomato slice on a plate and spread with some of the tapenade. Then place a slice of the mozzarella on top, add a few basil leaves, and finish with another tomato slice. You can add another layer to make Napoleon as high as you desire. Top with another small spoonful of the tapenade and then drizzle the Sweet Basil Dressing over the tomato and around the plate. Garnish with a sprig of fresh basil and repeat to make 4 to 6 plates.
• Combine olives, garlic, anchovies and pine nuts in a food processor and process until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Whisk together vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and then stir in the basil.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Line a heavy large baking sheet with foil. Cut cross-hatch marks over the cut side of the eggplants. Arrange the eggplants and the Roma tomatoes cut side up on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with 2 tablespoons of oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Whisk 2 tablespoons of oil, 2 teaspoons of garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of oregano in a small bowl to blend. Stir in the diced tomatoes. Season with salt. Spoon the oil mixture over the eggplants. Sprinkle the eggplants with salt and pepper.
• Stir the bread crumbs, remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, 2 teaspoons of garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of oregano in another small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the Roma tomatoes.
• Bake until the vegetables are tender and the bread crumb topping is brown, about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Prepare oven-dried tomatoes:
• Skin the tomatoes by placing them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then plunging them right away in ice water. This will help you remove the skin without cooking the tomatoes. Using a paring knife, peel the skin off the tomatoes and then cut them in 1/2 lengthwise. Place the tomatoes in a bowl, sprinkle with alt and add the thyme and 2 ounces of olive oil. Arrange the tomatoes with the thyme sprigs on a non-reactive baking pan. Leave enough space around the tomato halves so they don't touch, allowing air to circulate and dry them out. Put them in a 300 degree F oven to dry for 2 hours.
• Prepare the garlic:
• Place the garlic cloves in a small pot and cover with 2 cups of olive oil. Simmer very slowly for 40 minutes, until the garlic is soft. Remove them from the oil and set aside at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Prepare the eggplant:
• Slice the eggplant into 1-inch rounds. Put them in a bowl and sprinkle generously with salt. Drizzle olive oil over them and toss. Arrange the rounds on a baking pan, leaving enough space between each slice so that they cook evenly. Bake until they are soft and slightly brown, about 30 minutes.
• Prepare the pasta:
• In a large pot, bring to a boil 4 quarts of salted water. Add the rigatoni and cook until "al dente" or even slightly undercooked, about 6 to 8 minutes. Since the pasta will be cooked in the oven, it's important not to overcook the pasta in the boiling water. Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with a little olive oil to prevent them from sticking. Set aside.
• Assemble and bake dish:
• Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the pasta, eggplant, tomato, garlic, scallion and basil and mix well. Add the ricotta and toss gently so that the ingredients are distributed among the pasta but that the ricotta is not completely mixed through. The idea here is to have distinct and differing flavors, so it is important that the ricotta be spread in roughly tablespoon size pieces. Season, if necessary, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Transfer to a large greased earthenware or glass baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake in the oven until the pasta is brown and crisp on top, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Steps:

• For the bread crumbs: In a medium bowl, combine pecorino, panko, salt, pepper, olive oil, and parsley. Mix well until crumbs are evenly coated with oil. Set aside.
• For the eggplant and tomatoes: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine red tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, tomato puree, garlic, eggplant and 1/3 cup olive oil. Add half of the bread crumb mixture. With your hands or two spoons, gently mix the vegetables and bread crumb mixture until thoroughly combined.
• Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish and top with remaining bread crumb mixture. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the top. Bake, uncovered, until eggplant is tender and top is lightly browned, 45 to 60 minutes; if after 30 minutes the top is browning too rapidly, cover the dish with foil for the remaining cooking time. Remove from oven, and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle olive oil to taste over each serving, if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.
• Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise, then cut each half into quarters lengthwise. Cut each of those in half to make two shorter quarters. Place the eggplant onto the baking sheet with the skin side down. Brush each piece with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Roast in the preheated oven until softened and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. and brush 2 baking sheets with some of the olive oil.
• Arrange as many vegetables as possible in one layer on sheets. Brush vegetables with some remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables in middle and lower thirds of oven, switching positions of sheets in oven half way through roasting, until just tender and lightly browned, 10-15 minutes. Transfer vegetables as roasted to a tray, arranging them in one layer. Roast remaining vegetables in same manner. Vegetables may be roasted 1 day ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, layered between sheets of plastic wrap on trays and covered. Bring vegetables to room temperature before proceeding.
• In a small bowl stir together ricotta, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Put 1 eggplant slice on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta mixture over eggplant. Cover ricotta mixture with 2 potato slices and layer with 2 zucchini slices, 1 onion slice, 1 mozzarella slice, 2 to 3 tomato slices, 2 zucchini slices, and 1 onion slice. Spread 1 tablespoon ricotta mixture over onion and top with 1 eggplant slice. Make 5 more napoleons using remaining vegetables, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella in same manner.
• Insert a metal or wooden skewer through center of each napoleon to make a hole from top to bottom. Trim rosemary sprigs to 1-inch taller than napoleons and remove bottom leaves from each sprig, leaving about 1-inch of leaves around top. Insert 1 sprig into each napoleon and bake in middle of oven 5 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and vegetables are heated through.