EEk - eggplant & mushroom recipes please!

[Arimeh]

So I got my first delivery from coles online tonight and got their vege box.

Errr.. so I got an absolute crap load of mushies and one big mother of an eggplant. Trouble is - I cannot stand mushrooms (smell of them cooking makes me wanna vomit) and I've never cooked with eggplant before.

Soooo.. can I have a recipe that uses LOTS of mushies but doesn't taste like mushies, and an awesome one for eggplant.

Oh - and of course - really simple cos everyone knows I'm a total doofus in the kitchen.

*mwah*

[~me~]

Can't give you one off the cuff....BUT I just saw a beautiful lasagne recipe on The Biggest Loser using eggplant. Pop onto the site tomorrow and see if they have posted it, sure they would have.

Ok..I am editing here..it's up on the site already, using eggplant and mushrooms! It looked absolutely beautiful when I saw them making it!!!

Ingredient
½ eggplant, slices thinly lengthways
1 red capsicum, sliced into strips
4 spray olive oil
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp cracked pepper
1 garlic clove
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 tbls tomato paste, no salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cracked pepper
2 anchovies (optional)
1 cup ricotta, reduced fat
½ cup skim milk
½ cup each of fresh basil, parsley
3 Wholemeal lasagne sheets Method
Place the first three veggies in a bowl and toss with the sprayed olive oil. Grill or bake until soft and a little golden. The sauté the mushrooms in a covered pan with the pepper, garlic and a little water. Meanwhile, make the Napoli (tomato) sauce. Place all of the ingredients in a pot and simmer over a low heat for about 15 minutes. You may need to thin it out a little with some water.

For your ‘béchamel’ (white) sauce, put the ricotta in a bowl and stir through the milk and half the herbs. Set aside. To assemble, spoon about ½ a cup of Napoli over the bottom of a have a small pie dish then and lay 2 lasagne sheets on top. Cover the first layer with eggplant and a little white sauce. Now cover this layer with tofu slices and Napoli sauce. Then lay the capsicum, Napoli and herbs. The final layer is mushrooms and Napoli then top with the last two lasagne sheets. Cover the sheets with Napoli the white sauce.

Refrigerate overnight or freeze or bake immediately at 180°C for about 30 minutes or until juices start to ooze out and the sheets are soft when pierced with a knife. Let the Lasagne rest for about 25 minutes before cutting it into 4 pieces. Serve with some green leaves.

[sneakysparkle]

Mushroom risotto is good - and I make it, so I know you'll be able to!

I put a tonne of mushrooms in with my spag bol

You can put mushies in with honey mustard chicken - tastes AWESOME!

Oh, and sorry - I don't use recipe's so I can't pass them on!

[Jahzara]

[QUOTE=Arimeh;2269533]So I got my first delivery from coles online tonight and got their vege box.

Errr.. so I got an absolute crap load of mushies and one big mother of an eggplant. Trouble is - I cannot stand mushrooms (smell of them cooking makes me wanna vomit) and I've never cooked with eggplant before.

Soooo.. can I have a recipe that uses LOTS of mushies but doesn't taste like mushies, and an awesome one for eggplant.

Oh - and of course - really simple cos everyone knows I'm a total doofus in the kitchen.
........

Sorry, i shouldnt laugh but i couldnt help it - i love the way you write things...

I could have written that myself ! I was thinking of trying Coles online myself because i heard it can save you heaps of $$ - no impulse buying.
But i would be totally stuffed if i ordered a vegie box then...
Do you think you saved money ??

Sorry i couldnt help with a recipe. What about a very mushroomy beef stroganoff ?


Mel - you are at least trying - whereas - i'm not !! (I detest cooking)

[sangie]

I was going to say mushroom risotto too. Or you could put them in a fried rice.

Eggplant lasagne is yummy!

We do fried eggplant sometimes which is really yum and easy. Cut eggplant into about 1cm thick slices. Dip in beaten egg then in seasoned breadcrumbs and fry on both sides until golden.

[Olive]

mel i make risotto in the microwave if your interested, is very easy

[Boo Boo]

mushroom lasagne is yummo...let me know if you want the recipe...

oh and I've also got a mince & mushroom dish too if your interested

[AndiE]

The below "recipe" works with both mushies and eggplant in it. I LOVE mushies, but the jury is still out on eggplant, which I've only just started to buy. I like eggplant in this dish, but not sure how else to eat it, so I might keep tabs on this thread.

The below is really just chicken and veg pasta, but here's my version:

I chop up two chicken breasts, several rashes of bacon and an onion. Fry them off a bit with some garlic (and I've also used a good tspn of wholegrain mustard) in the frypan. Add approx 2 cups of chicken stock and some chopped silverbeet, mushrooms (chopped, halved - however you like them), corn from a cob of corn and any other vegies you fancy - such as a thinly chopped carrot and eggplant . See note below for prep of egglant. Cook the vegies down a bit (easier and quicker if you put a lid on your frypan). You may need to add a fraz more water to the mix so there's enough for a sauce. If it's too liquidy - add some cornflour (mixed to a paste with water first) to thicken. To finish, add approx 1/3 to 1/2 cup of cream. Heat through. Serve with pasta (I generally throw the cooked pasta into the sauce, then serve).

Note: I chop the egglant lengthways (not too thin, not too thick) and put under the grill (grilling both sides) until softened and coloured a bit. I then remove the skin (I slice it off with the knife) and then chop the remaining flesh. I don't enjoy the taste of eggplant on its own particularly, but put in with the pasta it adds a nice taste. The fresh corn also seems to give the dish a bit of added zing.

My two year old will happily eat this, DH likes it and I find it tasty. The beauty is you can add whatever vegies you like - beans and broccoli work well too. Sour cream might go ok instead of cream, haven't tried it but works for some other pasta/rice recipes done in a similar way.

[Arimeh]

Heather - yeah I saw that - the ricotta put me off.. ewww.. LOL.. but if I get desperate I may have to try it (even though its the smell of frying mushies that makes me wanna hurl!)

SS - haha thanks lol

Jahzara - hmm.. well its usually about $500 a fortnight for us, I spent $430 which included everything but extra milk for the fortnight. I doubt there is enough fruit and vegies to last us a fortnight (you've seen the size of DH, he can put away a lot of fruit in a week!) so it probably works out even. But hey, it saves me dragging 3 kids to the supermarket....

Sangie - that sounds ok.. will have to see what DH thinks. Thanks

Olive - I'm interested in anything easy.. LOL

BooBoo - yup interested - pass them on my friend!

AndiE - is there anything you can add in place of sour cream OR cream? I can't actually have cream/sour cream - does not agree with my belly at all.

Keep em coming guys - I just may get rid of them all. I dunno why but they gave me TWO things of mushrooms - plus beans which I hate too (hmm fussy much?)

[allycat06]

Moussaka!....pretty much just lasagna with eggplant instead of pasta sheets. You can google for an authentic recipe. Chicken and mushroom pie....beef and mushroom pie, shrooms are good in any kind of cassarolly, rissottoey dish really (I apologise for my butchering of the english language...it's late ) You can hide the taste with lots of herbs, pepper and wine....DH despises shrooms and I love them so that's what I do to keep the peace at mealtimes.

[MrsFabuloso]

Mel, with mushies, I grate them into stuf like bolegnaise sauce, and almost anything I cook in the slow cooker. I don't think you can taste it at all, though I like mushies, so even if you could taste it I wouldn't mind, lol!
I make a veggie lasagne and moussaka with eggplant, but they are pretty in depth recipes and long cooking processes. If you wan tthe recipes, let me know.

[2CheekyMonkeys]

quiche or something like that? no idea about eggplant, never bought one. i have seen them grilled before (on tv) hehe.

[~me~]

Heather - yeah I saw that - the ricotta put me off.. ewww.. LOL..

I thought that too Tried a vegetarian lasagne using the recipe on the back of the wholemeal lasagne sheet pack and it was really really nice. Not as heavy (and comforting ) as meat lasagne with the cheese sauce. Ricotta is also cheap to buy too.

[Olive]

here mel:

Leek, mushroom & bacon risotto

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 tbs olive oil
1 leek, pale section only, washed, dried, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 bacon rashers, rind removed, cut into thin strips
295g (1 1/3 cups) arborio rice
1L (4 cups) salt-reduced chicken stock
300g cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
70g (1 cup) shredded parmesan
100g baby spinach leaves
Fresh thyme sprigs, to serve

Method
Place the oil, leek and garlic in a 3L (12-cup) capacity microwave-safe bowl. Cook, uncovered, on high/800watts/ 100% for 3 minutes or until the leek softens. Add the bacon and cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes or until the bacon softens.

Add the rice and stir until well combined. Add the stock and stir until well combined. Cover with 2 layers of plastic wrap and cook on high/800watts/100% for 5 minutes. Cook, covered, on Medium/500watts/50% for 7 minutes.

Add the mushroom to the rice mixture and stir until well combined. Cover with 2 layers of plastic wrap and cook on medium/500watts/50% for 7 minutes or until the rice is just tender. Add the parmesan and spinach, and stir until well combined. Set aside, covered, for 10-15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

Divide the risotto among serving bowls and top with thyme sprigs to serve.

[ACJ]

What did u end up making Mel??

I LOVE eggplant but never know what to make with it!!

[Arimeh]

I made a moroccan eggplant, pumpkin and chick pea curry type thing. It was nice.. except for the eggplant.. bahahahahahaha!!!

But at least I found out that I don't like eggplant.

[ACJ]

Ohhhh I love it!! It is a different taste tho.

Sounds yummy!! Did u follow a recipe??

[Arimeh]

Bahahaha!! Of course I used a recipe - I'm a shocking cook.. LOL

I found it on the taste website