Eggplant is perfect for the grill - nice big slices don't have much risk of falling through the grates for one thing. It cooks quickly and pairs very nicely with fire-roasted tomatoes, an Italian dressing with roasted red peppers in it and tomato and basil flavored feta cheese for an easy warm side that pairs well with grilled chicken or can be served on toasts like caponata.The key to cooking eggplant is salting it and letting it stand, sprinkled liberally with sea salt, for at least 30 minutes before rinsing it WELL and then cooking it. The salt will cause small beads of brown liquid to form on the surface of the slices; it's that liquid that can make eggplant bitter! After rinsing, blot the slices dry and continue as below.
- 1 medium eggplant
- 5-8 plum tomatoes, depending on size
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- Garlic powder
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, flavored or plain
- 1/3 cup Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian Dressing or other Italian salad dressing
Slice the eggplant into rounds, salt, rinse and blot dry as described above. Brush the slices with a little olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper to taste.
Prepare a grill to medium heat, about 250 degrees. Grill the eggplant and tomato halves until lightly blackened and the eggplant is tender, about 5 minutes a side - do not grill the eggplant directly over hot coals - it WILL burn! Let cool slightly and chop the eggplant into roughly bite-size pieces. Place in a bowl.
Roughly chop the tomatoes and add to the eggplant. Add salad dressing and feta. Toss to combine. Let stand a few minutes to allow flavors to blend.
Note: I grilled the eggplant directly on the grill grates but used a basket for the tomatoes. It isn't necessary, but it did make the job MUCH easier when they got really soft and done!
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