Saucy Eggplant Patty Tower Recipes

EGGPLANT PARMESAN TOWERS

Steps:

• To make a quick marinara sauce, place a saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Pour in the red wine and cook for 1 minute to reduce. Using your hands or a potato masher, crush the tomatoes and add to the saucepot, including any juices from the can. Stir to combine. Add 1 whole stem of fresh basil leaves. Bring the sauce to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium low. Allow the sauce to continuing cooking while the rest of the components are prepared.
• Pour the vegetable oil into a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot and attach a deep-frying thermometer. Heat the oil over medium heat to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and top with a cooling rack.
• Set up 3 low-sided dishes to make a breading station: To the first dish, add the flour, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and stir to combine. In the second dish, beat the eggs. To the third dish, add the breadcrumbs.
• Dredge both sides of the eggplant slices in the seasoned flour, shaking each piece to remove any excess. Next, dip the eggplant slices into the egg, allowing it to drip before moving onto the third dish. Then, coat the eggplant in the breadcrumbs evenly on both sides.
• Working in batches, carefully place the breaded eggplant into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to the cooling rack on the baking sheet. Sprinkle each slice generously with kosher salt. Continue this process until all the eggplant rounds have been fried.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the basil stem from the marinara sauce.
• Remove the paper towels from the baking sheet. Build towers on the cooling rack: Top a slice of eggplant with 1 tablespoon of marinara sauce, 1 tablespoon mozzarella, 1 tablespoon Parmesan and 1 basil leaf. Place a second piece of eggplant on top and repeat this process. Top the tower with a third piece of eggplant and repeat only with sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan (no basil). Repeat this process to create 8 towers on the cooling rack.
• Bake until the cheese is melted and slightly browned on top, about 20 minutes. Transfer the towers to a serving platter. Garnish each eggplant tower with a fresh basil leaf and serve immediately.

GINORMOUS SAUCY EGGPLANT PATTY TOWER RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• Bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove. Remove the ends of the eggplant. Cut three 3/4-inch-wide eggplant slices. Pat dry, if needed. Save the rest for another use. Place the eggplant slices and patties in the skillet and cook for 3 to 5 minutes; flip, and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until fully cooked. Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine tomatoes with Italian seasoning in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for about 30 seconds, until hot. Mix well. If you like, add additional Italian seasoning, to taste. Plate one eggplant slice and top with a spoonful of sauce; evenly top with a burger patty. Alternate layering the remaining eggplant slices and burger patty, adding a spoonful of sauce in between each layer. Cover your "tower" with all of the remaining sauce. Garnish with basil. Grab a fork and knife and dig in!

EGGPLANT PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly oil a large, deep casserole dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Arrange the sliced eggplant on a greased cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
• In a food processor, puree the onion, bell pepper, garlic and optional ancho chile pepper. If the mixture is too thick add a tablespoon of water. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Pour the onion mixture into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Add milk, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
• Arrange half of the baked eggplant in the greased casserole dish. Spoon in half of the white sauce, covering the eggplant. Spread the veggie crumbles over the white sauce, followed by the pasta, and a layer of the bell pepper puree. Cover the the onion and pepper mixture with remaining eggplant and spoon the remaining white sauce over the eggplant. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the casserole.
• Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

SAUCY EGGPLANT PATTY TOWER

Steps:

• Bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove.
• Remove the ends of the eggplant. Cut three 3/4-inch-wide eggplant slices. Pat dry, if needed. Save the rest for another use.
• Place the eggplant slices and patties in the skillet and cook for 3 to 5 minutes; flip, and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until fully cooked.
• Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine tomatoes with Italian seasoning in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for about 30 seconds, until hot. Mix well. If you like, add additional Italian seasoning, to taste.
• Plate one eggplant slice and top with a spoonful of sauce; evenly top with a burger patty. Alternate layering the remaining eggplant slices and burger patty, adding a spoonful of sauce in between each layer. Cover your "tower" with all of the remaining sauce. Garnish with basil.
• Grab a fork and knife and dig in!

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) PATTIES OR EGGPLANT FRITTERS

Steps:

• Cut ends off of eggplants, cut in half length-wise and then into five pieces, length-wise.
• Cut across into 3/4" chunks.
• Steam eggplant chunks for 10 minutes and cool slightly.
• Heat oil in a large frying pan - you may mix vegetable and olive oil instead of using just olive oil.
• Squeeze liquid out of steamed pieces with your hands, keeping pieces from getting too mashed.
• Place bread crumbs (seasoned or unseasoned), parmesan cheese and seasonings into a large bowl and mix.
• You could use a clove or two of fresh garlic, sauteed in place of the garlic salt.
• Beat eggs in a small bowl and add to bread crumb mix along with eggplant pieces.
• Stir to mix well.
• Form patties of any size, but not exceeding an inch in thickness and place in frying pan.
• Cook for five minutes on each side.
• Remove to a towel-lined plate to drain.
• Place in a warm oven if you are not ready to serve them immediately.

EGGPLANT MOZZARELLA TOWER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• For marinara, in a small saucepan over medium heat, warm oil and sauté onion for 4 mins or until translucent .Add garlic and sauté, stirring continually do not brown .Add tomatoes and herbs and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10mins set aside.
• Season eggplant slices with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour, shaking off the excess. Next dip each slice in egg, then in the bread crumbs. Set aside.
• In large skillet heat vegetable oil over high heat until very hot. Sauté eggplant one slice at a time until golden brown.
• Places the cooked sliced on a baking sheet,.
• Top each with a tomato slices and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake for 10mins until golden brown and cheese is melted.
• To serve stack three eggplant / tomato slices on each plate. Garnish with some basil spoon marinara around eggplant tower.

EGGPLANT SPAGHETTI RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• Peel the eggplant (I don't!) and cut into cubes of about 1/2". Put in a bowl and toss with a handful of salt. Let it sit for about an hour, then drain off the liquid, rinse well and pat dry with paper toweling. Heat the oil in the pan and fry the eggplant until it is golden. Remove the eggplant with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb the oil. Discard all but enough of the remaining oil to sauté the onions. Bring the water for the spaghetti to a boil and cook according to the package directions. While the pasta is cooking, sauté the onions and garlic until onions are translucent. Return the eggplant to the pan along with the tomatoes, romano cheese (if using), and ricotta (or substitute). Season with pepper. Cook until the ricotta is melded with the vegetables. Drain the pasta. Serve on individual plates with the eggplant mixture spooned over it. Top with chiffonade of basil and pass the Parmesan cheese around the table, if desired.