Eggplants are one of the most commonly used vegetables in the cuisine of many peoples of the world. They are not only fried, but also boiled, stewed, pickled, baked or grilled, and also used to make caviar and a variety of salads. In the east, eggplant is called the “vegetable of longevity”, since its consumption has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular and digestive systems. The eggplant diet is recommended for people suffering from kidney disease and constipation.
Eggplant is one of the few vegetables that is practically not eaten raw. Ripe fruits contain a large amount of fiber, pectin, various vitamins, minerals and natural sugars.
Eggplant halves with cheese and garlic in the oven
Hearty dietary eggplants stuffed with tomatoes and garlic just melt in your mouth. The “highlight” of the snack is the cheese, which when baked forms an appetizing crust.
To bring the recipe to life you will need:
- 4 eggplants;
- 2 tomatoes;
- garlic head;
- a piece of cheese;
- a little greens, mayonnaise, salt.
Implementation method:
- The eggplants are washed and divided into halves, on which slits are made.
- The garlic is peeled, cut into slices, which are inserted into the cuts.
- The greens are chopped and distributed among the main vegetables.
- Well-washed tomatoes are cut into slices, which cover the eggplant preparations.
- At the end, the vegetable halves are covered with cheese shavings and a mayonnaise mesh.
Baking is carried out for 25 minutes at a temperature of 200 °C.
Eggplant with cheese - food preparation
Today you can buy eggplants of many different varieties. Despite the fact that their recipes are almost the same, their taste is noticeably different. When choosing eggplants for your future dishes, you first need to pay attention to their appearance. All fruits must be elastic, without visible damage or stains. You need to cut the eggplants as required by the recipe for the desired dish. During the frying process, the fruits absorb quite a lot of oil, so it is better to fry them over low heat with the lid closed. In this case, a crispy crust appears very quickly, which will prevent the penetration of oil. In addition, before cooking, vegetables must be thoroughly dried, then they will be better fried.
Eggplant with cheese - the best recipes
Appetizer with tomatoes
Eggplants are very tasty when combined with cheese, garlic and tomatoes. The spicy taste is complemented by creamy tomato notes.
To be convinced of such extraordinary taste qualities of the snack, it is enough to prepare:
- 2 eggplants;
- tomato;
- 250 g minced chicken;
- a piece of cheese;
- a bunch of green onions;
- ½ head of garlic;
- salt and pepper.
Sequencing:
- The eggplants are divided into halves, after which the cores are removed to form “boats”.
- Greens and garlic are chopped and mixed with minced meat.
- The filling is salted and seasoned.
- The vegetables are stuffed and then covered with tomato cubes.
- The blanks are sent to the oven, preheated to 180 °C, for half an hour.
- After half the time has passed, the “boats” are sprinkled with cheese shavings.
Eggplants can be served warm or cold. Their taste will not become any worse.
How to deliciously fry in a frying pan
If you want a quick and tasty snack, you can cook vegetables in a frying pan.
To execute this simple recipe, it is enough to prepare a minimum food set consisting of the following ingredients:
- 200 g cream cheese;
- large eggplant;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- greenery;
- salt and spices.
Sequence of steps:
- The vegetable is washed and, unpeeled, cut into 3 mm thick plates.
- The resulting pieces are fried until golden brown in hot oil.
- The filling is prepared in a separate container: cheese mashed with a fork is mixed together with garlic passed through a press.
- One side of each eggplant slice is covered with a thin layer of cheese mixture.
- Next, rolls are formed, laid out on a beautiful dish and served to the table, pre-crushed with herbs.
To prevent the products from falling apart, you should secure them with skewers or toothpicks, depending on what you have on hand.
Recipe 4: Cheese and eggplant appetizer
This dish is cooked directly in a frying pan, and a fragrant cheese crust covers eggplant, garlic and mayonnaise.
Ingredients : 2 medium eggplants, 2 cloves of garlic, 100 grams of cheese, 100 grams of mayonnaise, vegetable oil, herbs, salt and pepper to taste.
Cooking method
Cut the washed and dried eggplants into rings, add plenty of salt and let sit for fifteen minutes. Fry the fruits in heated sunflower oil on both sides until golden brown. Place a little finely chopped garlic on each piece of eggplant and spread with mayonnaise. Sprinkle grated cheese on top of the eggplants. Reduce heat, cover the vegetables with a lid and keep on the stove for a few more minutes. Place the finished eggplants on a plate and sprinkle generously with chopped herbs.
Eggplant rolls with cheese and garlic
You can diversify the menu with delicious eggplant rolls with walnuts added to the filling. The latter give the appetizer notes of delicacy and oiliness.
Ingredients of a delicious dish:
- 30 g walnuts;
- 25 g mayonnaise;
- small garlic head;
- a piece of cheese;
- ½ bunch each of dill and parsley;
- vegetable oil for frying
- salt and spices.
Progress:
- The eggplants, along with the skin, are cut into slices.
- The latter are salted, and after ¼ hour they are washed and fried in hot oil.
- The cheese is kneaded in a bowl. It can also be grated on a fine grater.
- Chopped herbs, chopped nuts and garlic gruel are laid out in it.
- Everything is mixed with mayonnaise.
- The filling is applied in a thin layer to the plates, after which the latter are rolled into rolls.
- The products are fixed with skewers and served after cooling.
To ensure that there is no oil left after frying vegetable slices, it is recommended to use paper towels, which can easily absorb excess oil.
How to cook “Fried eggplant with cheese and garlic”
1. Wash the eggplants, dry them a little and peel them. Cut into medium-thick slices.
2. Pour a little vegetable oil into the frying pan (add more if necessary, since the eggplants will absorb quite a lot of oil), heat it up and put the eggplants there. Fry over medium heat until crust appears on both sides.
3. Meanwhile, you can make the sauce. Place cream cheese in a bowl. Peel and press the garlic, add chopped herbs (you can add dill, parsley, cilantro, basil or even a pinch of dried herbs to the recipe for fried eggplants with cheese and garlic). Mix everything well and add a little mayonnaise or sour cream so that the consistency is more liquid and the sauce can be easily spread.
4. Wash, dry and cut the tomatoes into thin slices. Additionally, you can use hard cheese, but this is optional.
5. For fried eggplants, prepare paper towels or napkins on which to place them after frying. Cool them for about 10 minutes.
6. Add a little salt to the cooled eggplant slice on all sides, and add a little ground pepper if desired. Spread the sauce over the entire surface and place a piece of tomato on the edge.
7. Carefully roll up, place on a plate and place in the refrigerator for at least half an hour so that the fried eggplants with cheese and garlic are soaked at home.
With bell pepper
Using the oven, you can prepare a very juicy and appetizing snack using the following products:
- eggplant;
- tomato;
- 1 PC. bell pepper;
- 100 g Suluguni cheese;
- ½ head of garlic;
- a little vegetable oil for frying;
- salt, herbs and spices.
Step-by-step scheme for executing a snack:
- The eggplant is divided into halves, and then cuts are made on each.
- The prepared vegetable and whole pepper are placed on a greased baking sheet and baked at 180 °C for 20 minutes.
- The pulp is extracted from the eggplants and crushed together with the peeled pepper.
- The cheese is grated.
- Garlic is passed through a press.
- A filling is prepared from ½ cheese, vegetable pulp and garlic gruel along with seasonings, with which the eggplant “boats” are filled.
- The products are placed in the oven, where they are covered with tomato slices and remaining cheese.
- Prepare the dish for 5 minutes in a preheated oven.
The appetizer is served hot, crushed with chopped herbs.
Baked eggplant slices with cheese and vegetables
Servings: 6 Ingredients:
- 1 eggplant
- 4 tablespoons olive oil (can be sunflower)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 small onion
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 small tomatoes
- Bunch of spinach
- 1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup tomato spaghetti sauce
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Cut the eggplant into round slices 1 cm thick. Brush each slice with olive oil and sprinkle garlic powder on both sides. Bake the eggplant slices on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes.
- Grease a deep frying pan with oil and add finely chopped onions, garlic, tomatoes and spinach. Sauté until the mixture becomes fragrant and the tomatoes release their juices.
- In a separate bowl, combine the cheeses (Ricotta, Mozzarella, Parmesan) and set aside. Leave separately 1/4 cup each Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese untouched.
- Take a deep baking dish and grease it with oil. Place the eggplant slices in it and place the prepared vegetable mixture on top. Sprinkle cheese mixture over vegetable mixture. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the cheese layer. Finish with a layer of reserved Mozzarella and Parmesan on top. Add Italian seasoning.
- Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven.
The dish is ready! Serve hot! Bon appetit!
Recipe with chicken in the oven
Eggplants in the oven can be made more filling by adding 2 chicken fillets to the recipe.
In addition, you will need:
- 2 eggplants;
- 2 tomatoes;
- a piece of cheese;
- garlic head;
- a bunch of greenery;
- spicy spices;
- a stack of vegetable oil.
Sequence of steps:
- Eggplants are cut into circles, which are salted, and after 10 minutes they are washed under running water.
- The chicken is cut into slices, which are placed for 20 minutes in a marinade prepared from vegetable oil, spices, salt and garlic pressed through a press.
- At this time, thin slices are prepared from tomatoes, shavings from cheese, and small pieces from greens.
- The eggplants are drained in a colander.
- The dish is assembled on a baking sheet in the following order: eggplant, herbs, tomatoes, cheese.
An appetizing dish under a fragrant crust is prepared for about 40 minutes at a temperature of 200 °C.
Fan-baked eggplant with cheese and garlic
Many people know such an interesting dish as “Peacock Tail”. So, this is the eggplant “fan”. Not only is this a very impressive appetizer, it is also very appetizing.
To verify this yourself, just prepare:
- 3 eggplants;
- 120 g Feta;
- 200 g cherry tomatoes;
- bunch of basil;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- olive oil (to taste);
- salt pepper.
The dish is prepared as follows:
- The eggplants are cut lengthwise into slices so that the “bottom” remains intact (the vegetable will look like a “fan”).
- The vegetables prepared in this way are laid out on a baking sheet covered with paper, where they are pressed down so that the “fan” does not form.
- Tomato plates are prepared and placed on eggplants.
- Next, thin slices of garlic are laid out, and then the dish is sprinkled with cheese shavings.
Before serving, the appetizer is crushed with fresh basil leaves.
Casserole with eggplant and cheese
This vegetarian casserole can feed a crowd. Fresh eggplant, spinach, fried tomatoes, cheese...mmmmm...delicious...cannot stand it. Let's prepare this dish already!
Total cooking time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Number of servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 eggplant, cut into 1cm thick rounds
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (can be sunflower)
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1/2 head finely chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 small tomatoes
- 1 bunch of fresh spinach leaves, washed and stems removed
- 1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Brush each eggplant slice with olive oil. Bake the eggplant slices on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes.
- While the eggplant is baking, combine the cheeses (Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan) in one bowl and mix well.
- In a deep frying pan, fry the onions until golden brown. Add garlic, chopped tomato and spinach. Sauté until the spinach is wilted and has lost enough moisture.
- Take a deep baking dish. Place baked eggplant slices on the bottom. Place the prepared tomato mixture on top. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the top of the dish and bake in the oven until the cheese crust forms (about 30 minutes).
The dish is ready! Serve hot! Bon appetit!
With curd cheese
You can often taste a similar dish in restaurants.
But you can prepare such a delicious appetizer yourself, having:
- eggplant;
- 150 g curd cheese;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- several walnut kernels;
- 15 ml sour cream;
- a little salt and herbs.
Execution method:
- Eggplant slices are prepared and fried until golden brown.
- The filling is prepared from grated cheese, crushed garlic, chopped herbs, salt and spices.
- Vegetable slices are covered with curd mass and rolled into rolls.
After the eggplants have cooled, the appetizer, fixed with skewers, can be served.
Eggplant with cheese - general principles and methods of preparation
Before you start preparing eggplant dishes, you need to choose the most suitable fruit for this. They should be oblong in shape, have a blue-black shiny skin, and not contain a large number of seeds. Before cooking, the eggplants need to be cut, salted well and left in water for thirty minutes so that the bitterness goes away. It is not recommended to eat overripe fruits; they contain a lot of solanine, a harmful substance that in large doses can even provoke hallucinations.
Vegetable ratatouille
This Provençal dish is bright, beautiful and aromatic. Even meat lovers will appreciate this recipe.
Main ingredients:
- 250 g each of zucchini and eggplant;
- 300 g tomatoes;
- 100 g bell pepper;
- similar amount of cheese;
- ½ garlic head;
- ½ glass of olive oil;
- salt and seasonings.
Progress:
- A dressing is prepared from crushed garlic and olive oil.
- All vegetables are washed and cut into slices. At the same time, the pepper is freed from cores and seeds.
- Prepared fruits are laid out in layers in a baking dish, seasoned, salted, and poured with dressing.
- The container is placed in the oven for half an hour.
- After 20 minutes, the dish is sprinkled with cheese shavings.
To make the dish more flavorful, you need to let the dressing brew for about half an hour.
Eggplants are excellent seasonal vegetables that can be prepared in various variations, depending on the taste preferences of the cook and his family.