Easy Eggplant Ideas

If you’ve ever been drawn to those lovely burnished purple vegetables in the market, then you probably wondered how to prepare easy eggplant dishes.

Easy eggplant dishes abound, but first, you need the right vegetable. There are a few varieties of eggplants, with the egg shaped dark purple ones being most common. Look for smaller firm fruits that are heavy for their size to ensure the best quality. Avoid any that have wrinkled skin, since these will usually be bitter. The bigger the eggplant, the more tough seeds it will contain, so be careful of this, as well. A good size to aim for is the same length as your hand.

Once you have a good quality vegetable, you’re ready to start preparing easy eggplant dishes. It’s not as difficult as you might think. You may notice that most recipes call for salting the eggplant or sitting in salt water. This helps draw out the bitter juices and will also firm up the flesh so it is easier to cook with.

There are a few things that go very well with any eggplant dish. Garlic, tomatoes and olive oil all compliment this vegetable extremely well. In fact, a very quick and easy eggplant recipe is to just chop the eggplant, a few tomatoes and some garlic and cook them all up in some olive oil. Serve on bread or over rice and you have yourself a lovely meal.

Another popular way to cook this plant is to slice into “steaks” and brush with herbs and oil, then grill them. If you don’t have a grill, you can just use a hot frying pan to sear in the flavors.

Not sure how to serve the eggplant once it’s cooked? Well, if you have a sauce-like dish, you can serve it over pasta or rice. Many recipes do well on toast, as well. Grilled “steaks” can be turned into a simple, yet delicious sandwich or chopped or blended to create a salad or soup that’s extra good for you.

Don’t be afraid to try easy eggplant dishes. Even if they seem simple, these dishes can be delicious!