Today I want to bring to your attention a delicious and original recipe - baked eggplants. Moreover, now they are in the best season yet. This year the summer is so hot that eggplants have grown in large quantities even in my garden, which has never happened before. Therefore, we will cook from them.
We affectionately call them “little blue ones,” and many housewives love to cook them. Mostly fried in a pan or baked. When fried, they absorb a lot of oil, and therefore are not recommended for food for all people. But baked ones are what you need. They do not bake for very long, which means they retain most of their vitamins and beneficial microelements.
And today we have a recipe. The recipe is delicious! No matter how many eggplants you cook according to this recipe, they are always eaten just once or twice! It’s a pity that only 4 pieces fit on the baking sheet. You always have to make two batches.
Eggplant fan with mozzarella step-by-step recipe with photos
We will need (for 4 servings):
eggplants - 4 pieces
mozzarella cheese - 250 g (or any hard cheese)
tomatoes 8-10 pcs bell pepper - 1 pc garlic - 2 cloves
vegetable oil - 2-3 tbsp. spoons
basil -1-2 sprigs
spices - to taste
salt - to taste
ground black pepper - to taste
Preparation:
1. To prepare the dish, choose medium-sized eggplants. There is no need to take large ones, they already have rough skin. And there is no need to peel them. They will look very beautiful when baked.
In addition, in this form, they will better retain their shape.
2. Wash the “little blue ones”, carefully cut off the “skirt” as soon as it is cut, and part of the stalk. Then, using a very sharp knife, we cut them into 1 cm thick plates, about 1.5 cm short of the very end. That is, we cut them in the form of a fan. A thickness of 1 cm is the most optimal. They will have time to bake and will not overcook. The pulp will remain juicy and tasty.
3. Salt the plates on both sides and rub the salt a little into the surface.
4. Place the eggplants on the table or in a flat plate in the form of a fan. We press it on top with a cutting board and place some weight, a jar or a small saucepan with water on top. That is, a certain pressure is formed, thanks to which the “little blue” ones will become softer, and the bitterness will go away from them.
5. Leave them in this form under pressure for 15-20 minutes.
6. Immediately make garlic butter.
7. Chop the garlic as finely as possible and add oil. Add half a teaspoon of ground black pepper and the same amount of spices. I use a mixture of spices, it contains coriander, rosemary, thyme, paprika, a mixture of Provençal herbs. But you can add those that you like more.
8. Mix the contents and leave to infuse.
9. Wash the tomatoes, dry them with a paper towel, and cut them into circles or halves of circles 0.7 cm thick. The size is correlated with the size of the eggplants and the tomatoes themselves.
10. I also like to use bell peppers in this recipe. I love this combination of vegetables. I happened to have red pepper today and I'm using it. But for variety of colors it would be nice to have yellow or green.
We clear it of seeds and cut it into circles, or cut the finished circle into two halves. Again, let’s look at the size of our vegetables.
11. Mozzarella cheese is very good for this recipe. It is now quite accessible and does not cost much more than usual. And the taste with it is significantly different from the taste with ordinary hard cheese. But if for some reason it is difficult to purchase mozzarella, then use regular hard cheese.
12. Cut the mozzarella into pieces 1 cm thick. And then in half again if the pieces turned out to be large.
14. We dealt with all this while the eggplants were under pressure. Now we take them out and lightly squeeze out the excess juice. There is no need to be very zealous; do not squeeze out all the juice.
15. Grease a baking sheet with oil. We put eggplants on it and assemble a beautiful fan right on it.
16. The first thing to do is generously coat the eggplants with garlic oil. We use a silicone brush for this. Spread between the plates along with garlic and spices. We try to distribute the contents evenly so that there is enough for all the pieces.
17. I place tomatoes in plates in a checkerboard pattern. This is so that the fan is not very thick.
You can first remove the skin from the tomatoes. This is in case they are very thick-skinned. To do this, you first need to blanch them for 3-4 minutes. But I don’t do this, I have my own young tomatoes, and in this form they will retain their shape better.
18. We also lay layers of bell pepper in random order.
19. Then we place basil leaves between the layers. They will give a wonderful aroma to our dish.
20. And the final touch will be mozzarella cheese. We lay it out between all the plates. During baking, it will spread beautifully and give a toasted golden brown crust.
21. Place small tomatoes in the baking spaces. And the remaining bell pepper. We will decorate the dish with them when serving.
22. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. And set to bake for 20 minutes.
23. Take out the baking sheet and let it stand for 5 minutes. Then we put it on portioned plates and enjoy the look, taste, color and smell. We definitely eat with pleasure.
The mozzarella cheese spread and gave a wonderful aromatic crust, which covered the tomatoes and peppers. Under a coat of vegetables, garlic butter and cheese, the eggplants retained their softness. Their pulp is tasty and aromatic.
Some people add mayonnaise to this dish. But I think that it is completely inappropriate here. Without it, the dish is both healthy and tasty, and can even be considered dietary. Despite its lightness, it turns out to be quite filling. I prepared chicken for it separately, since my husband simply cannot get enough without meat. But having eaten only one eggplant herself, she already refused chicken because she was full.
I would also like to note that the eggplant fan looks very impressive and original. This dish can be served on any holiday table, and it will certainly become its decoration. Personally, I don’t often meet him when I’m visiting. That is why you will not only feed your guests deliciously, but also surprise them with your skill.
And don't think that it's difficult to prepare. Everything is done simply in one go. And what pleasure you get when you cook such beauty! After all, this is truly the most beautiful culinary creativity!
Bon appetit!
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21.10.2018
In the summer, nature spoils us with its gifts. Seasonal vegetables can be prepared in different ways. Eggplants are in particular demand among housewives. These vegetables are stewed, baked, pickled, canned, and grilled. In today's article we are discussing how to prepare fan-baked eggplants in the oven. Recipes for the best appetizers are selected specifically for your table.
You can prepare many amazing and delicious dishes from eggplants. But before you start creating a gastronomic masterpiece, you need to properly prepare the vegetable.
On a note! Eggplants contain a substance called solanine, which gives the vegetable a bitter taste. Regular salt or saline solution helps get rid of it.
A fan of eggplants in the oven with cheese will be a decoration for a festive or everyday table. You can improvise by adding unusual ingredients and marinades to enhance the flavor of the dish.
Ingredients:
- eggplants (need medium size) – 2-4 pieces;
- fresh tomatoes – 4 pieces;
- garlic cloves – 3-4 pieces;
- fresh or frozen dill – 20-30 g;
- mayonnaise – 100 ml;
- cheese – 150 g.
Preparation:
- To prepare such a fan-shaped snack, it is best to take medium-sized, not overripe eggplants.
- We will not remove the skin from them; we will rinse it thoroughly with filtered water and dry it with a paper towel. Cut off the stalk.
- We cut the eggplants into two longitudinal parts, that is, in half.
- Now turn each part over with the flesh down and begin cutting into strips approximately 5-10 mm thick. But do not cut half of the eggplant all the way to make a fan.
- Season the prepared preparations well with salt and leave for a third of an hour to get rid of the bitterness. Be sure to drain the released juice.
- Cut Russian cheese or other hard product into slices.
- Wash fresh tomatoes thoroughly, dry them, and cut out the stem. Cut the tomatoes into slices or slices.
- Grease a baking tray or other refractory dish with oil. Place the eggplant fans cut side down.
- Insert a slice of cheese and a piece of tomato into each cut.
- At this stage, you can already turn on the oven so that it warms up to a temperature mark of 180-190°.
- Let's prepare the sauce. Transfer the mayonnaise into a bowl.
- Grind the peeled garlic cloves under pressure and mix with mayonnaise sauce.
- Chop the dill and add to the above sauce ingredients.
- Mix everything thoroughly until a mass of homogeneous consistency is obtained. Generously coat the eggplants with the prepared sauce.
- This appetizer will be an excellent addition to any meat treat.
For variety and gastronomic pleasure, every housewife can cook fan-shaped stuffed eggplants in the oven. Fresh tomatoes and cheese are often used as filling. But you can turn your usual snack into a full meal. Add, for example, a meat product.
Ingredients:
- fresh blue ones - 2-3 pieces;
- fresh tomatoes – 2 pieces;
- bacon – 0.1 kg;
- sweet pepper – 1 piece;
- cheese – 0.1 kg;
- salt;
- parsley - one bunch;
- spices;
- mayonnaise – 100 ml;
- garlic cloves – 3 pieces.
Preparation:
- Let's start, as usual, by preparing the eggplants. You don’t have to remove the stalk, so the prepared dish will look more appetizing and original.
- Cut the eggplants in half. Now cut the resulting boats into strips, but not completely. We will bake the blue ones in the shape of a fan.
- Cut Russian cheese into thin slices.
- We clean the washed sweet peppers from veins and seeds. Grind the pepper pulp into oblong strips.
- Cut the washed tomatoes into slices or slices.
- Rub the sliced eggplants generously with salt and leave for half an hour.
- After the allotted time has passed, wash the vegetables with filtered water and dry thoroughly with napkins.
- Cut the bacon into slices.
- Grease a refractory mold with refined sunflower seed oil and place the eggplants cut sides down.
- Insert slices of bacon, Russian cheese, sweet peppers and tomatoes into the holes.
- Combine mayonnaise with chopped herbs and garlic.
- Pour this sauce generously over the top of the eggplants.
- The optimal temperature for preparing eggplant fan is 180-190°.
- We determine readiness by the softness of the vegetable and the characteristic golden crust. The heat treatment process will take about 30-40 minutes.
Making changes to the home menu
Baked eggplants are an ideal side dish for a meat dish. But not every housewife has enough time to prepare several dishes. In this case, you can bake eggplants with meat filling. To do this, use any minced meat to your taste.
On a note! It is better to serve the eggplant appetizer hot or warm. As the vegetables cool, juice will drip from the vegetables, making the dish devoid of any flavor.
Ingredients:
- medium-sized eggplants – 2-3 pieces;
- cheese – 100 g;
- minced meat – 500 g;
- greens – 1 bunch;
- garlic cloves – 2-3 pieces;
- mayonnaise – 100 ml;
- fresh tomato – 2-3 pieces.
Preparation:
- There is no need to heat-treat the minced meat beforehand. But if you have even the slightest doubt, fry the minced meat in a small amount of refined oil.
- Prepare the eggplants as described above. Be sure to salt them and leave them for half an hour to get rid of the bitterness.
- Cut hard cheese into slices and chop fresh tomatoes into slices.
- Mix finely chopped greens and garlic passed through a press with mayonnaise.
- Place the blue ones in a fan shape on a baking sheet. We put minced meat, cheese slices and tomatoes into the cuts.
- Cover everything with mayonnaise sauce and place in the oven for 40-50 minutes.
- Please note that you may need a little more mayonnaise to prevent the minced meat from being dry.
Step 1: prepare the eggplants.
To begin, wash one large or a couple of medium eggplants under cold running water and dry them with paper kitchen towels to remove excess moisture. Then we put them on a cutting board, with a sharp kitchen knife we cut each one in half lengthwise, but not all the way, and then each part divide into 3-4 layers, so that their thickness does not exceed 5-6 millimeters.Sprinkle the eggplant fans on all sides with coarse rock salt, place them in a deep colander, put it in the sink and leave it there for a while. 30–35 minutes, during which most of the inherent bitterness will be removed from the vegetables.
Step 2: prepare tomatoes, cheese and ham.
Without wasting a minute, we wash the tomatoes, dry them, remove from each the place where the stalk was attached, and chop into rings or layers up to 1 centimeter thick. We shred Mozzarella cheese and smoked pork ham in the same way, although the slices can be made larger if desired.
Step 3: Prepare the garlic-butter mixture.
Now peel the garlic cloves and squeeze them through a special press into a small bowl. Add dried basil, a little ground black pepper and maybe a pinch of salt. Shake these ingredients with a table fork until smooth and put the resulting garlic-butter mixture aside, it will come in handy a little later. Also at this time turn on and preheat the oven up to 180 degrees Celsius.
Step 4: Stuff the eggplants.
When the eggplants are steeped, wash them again and dry them. Then we stuff the vegetables with prepared cheese, tomatoes and ham.
For example, placing 2-3 pieces of these products on each layer.
After this, move the fans into a small non-stick metal, or preferably glass, heat-resistant baking dish.
Pour over the previously prepared garlic mixture and proceed to the almost final step.
Step 5: prepare fan-baked eggplants in the oven.
We check the temperature of the oven and, if it is warmed up, place the still raw dish in it on the middle rack. Bake the stuffed eggplants until fully cooked, medium 30–40, and large ones 40–50 minutes. Then we put oven mitts on our hands, move the mold with fans onto a cutting board previously placed on the countertop, and let the aromatic dish cool slightly. Then, using two kitchen spatulas, place the eggplants in portions on plates and serve them at the table.
Step 6: Serve the oven-baked eggplants like a fan.
Fan-baked eggplants in the oven are cooled slightly after cooking, then distributed in portions onto plates, each garnished with fresh dill, parsley or cilantro, if desired, and served as a second main course for lunch or dinner. As a complement to this yummy, you can offer several types of sauce, for example, sour cream, cream or tomato. Enjoy delicious and simple food!
Bon appetit!
Sometimes, instead of dried basil, fresh leaves are used; a total of 4–5 pieces are needed, but before that they should be washed, finely chopped and ground with ground garlic and oil. Well, if desired, this aromatic plant can perfectly replace dill, parsley or cilantro;
The stuffing products indicated in the recipe are not essential; instead of Mozzarella, you can take any hard or processed cheese; ham is ideally replaced by smoked bacon, chicken, lard, regular pieces of boiled or baked meat of any kind, and an alternative to olive oil is any other vegetable. You can also add zucchini or zucchini cut into thin layers, sweet salad pepper rings, or not use meat at all and make this dish completely vegetarian, filling the eggplant fans with only vegetables and cheese;
If the eggplant is too dense, the fan falls apart and the filling falls out of it, assemble it again and tie it in the thickest part with strong baking thread, which can be easily removed after baking using ordinary kitchen scissors;
Don't have a small glass heat-resistant or non-stick baking dish? Let's not be upset! We simply make thick two- or three-layer baskets out of aluminum foil, put stuffed eggplant in each and bake;
Some housewives, in addition to ground black pepper, use any spices suitable for vegetable dishes: hyssop, savory, sage, paprika and others.
An eggplant fan baked in the oven is a wonderful summer snack. The dish is very tasty, satisfying, simple, vegetable and even vegetarian. Looks beautiful on the table. Can be a side dish for fish or meat.
To prepare an eggplant “fan” we take: eggplants, tomatoes, any hard cheese, garlic, mayonnaise and salt.
Wash the eggplants and cut them lengthwise into two parts.
Then we cut each half lengthwise into strips 0.5 centimeters wide, but not all the way, as shown in the photo.
Salt the resulting “fans” and leave for about 15 minutes. You can add pepper if desired.
In the meantime, cut any hard cheese into slices.
Wash the tomatoes and also cut them into slices.
Peel, wash and chop the garlic.
And now we fill each eggplant “fan” with cheese, tomatoes and garlic. To do this, place a slice of cheese and tomato into the cuts of the eggplant. Then add chopped garlic. Place the “fans” on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. You can lubricate it with sunflower oil, but this is not necessary. There will be enough juice.
Lubricate each “fan” with a small amount of mayonnaise.
Bake in the oven at 180 degrees C for 40-50 minutes.
Eggplant “fans” are ready. Beautiful, tasty and satisfying.
Bon appetit!
Fan-shaped eggplant baked in the oven with tomatoes and cheese is a very beautiful appetizer. And how delicious it is! No words! All the colors of summer, piquancy, juiciness and originality in one dish. Intrigued? Then try it and praise the recipe.
Ingredients:
- medium-sized eggplants – 2 pcs.;
- red, ripe and fleshy tomatoes – 2 pcs. not very large;
- hard or semi-hard cheese – 50-70 g;
- mayonnaise or sour cream – 2-4 tbsp. l.;
- fresh garlic – 1-2 small cloves (to taste);
- table salt - to taste.
Recipe with photos step by step:
1. To prepare this impressive snack in all respects, it is better to use young “blue” ones. Overripe vegetables have skin that is too rough. Wash the eggplants well and cut off the green tail. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise. And then each half will also be divided into thin (moderately) longitudinal plates, without cutting to the end. As a result, you should end up with a “fan” like the one in the photo. Sprinkle the prepared eggplants with salt. Place in a bowl and wait until the juice starts to release. 
2. You will have to wait 10-15 minutes, so I suggest using this time usefully and preparing other ingredients. Wash and pat the tomatoes dry with a towel. Cut into circles. If the tomatoes are large, cut each circle in half. 
3. Cut a piece of hard or semi-hard cheese into thin slices. If it is more convenient, you can grate it on a coarse grater. 
4. Prepare a flavorful sauce. To do this you need to mix mayonnaise and chopped garlic. You can pass the garlic through a press or finely chop it with a knife. Add a pinch of salt and stir. The sauce is ready.
And you will probably like our photo recipe.
5. Drain the juice from the eggplants. Rinse the vegetables from salt. Gently squeeze out moisture. Spread mayonnaise-garlic sauce between the slices. Place on a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil. 
6. Place tomatoes between the eggplant slices, as shown in the photo. 
7. Place cheese on top. 
8. Bake in a preheated oven for 25-35 minutes until done. Baking temperature – 180-200 degrees.
When serving, you can sprinkle the eggplant fan with fresh herbs.
This is how the eggplants turn out like a fan. The recipe is very simple, but you can always add something of your own to it.
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