Well the post title says it all, doesn’t it?
The letter of the day was “e” and so I chose to hack up an eggplant.
I was trying to make fries, but they came out a bit on the mushy side, so I feel like a phony passing them off as such. Frites they were not.
All I did was chop up the eggplant into matchstick shapes (aka “fries”).
Then I did a little shake ‘n bake with Lawry’s seasoning.
I believe this photo accurately sums up my ghetto fabulous method.
Then I lined them up on a PAM-ified baking sheet.
Ready for the oven!
I baked them on 350 for 20 minutes, at which point they were starting to smell done. When I popped my head in to see their progress, they were definitely mushy (aka finished cooking). In an attempt to get a little char on the top I turned on the broiler for the last minute (we have a crazy strong broiler that burns things if it’s on more than a minute). After that, I took them out, even though I was hoping they’d be a bit more crispy and fry-like.
Suggestions? Maybe a higher oven temp? Or lower and longer?
Consistency aside, at least they tasted good. Normally, I’m pretty iffy about eggplant. Recipes that call for it are hit or miss. One one hand, I dislike the use of massive amounts of oil (eggplant is like a sponge with EVOO), but on the other hand, when it’s too dry, it’s often flavorless and blah. Usually the best way to get around this is to use it in a marinara type dish, where it’s covered in copious amounts of sauce, but not fatty greasy sauce. I still have half the eggplant left, so I think that may be my next eggplant trial.
But getting back to this dinner.
While the eggplant was in the oven, I made the rest of my meal.
It figures the amazing Alvarado Street sprouted tortillas I fell in love with last week are no longer in stock. Isn’t that always the way things go? You find something you love, and then you can never find them again. Grrr.
So we got Food For Life’s Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain tortillas instead. Can you see how thick and hearty it is from the above photo? It’s much rougher (and stiffer) as compared to the Alvarado Street version. The biggest difference though, is the size. They are smaller, which makes them far inferior in my eyes.
In any event, I got to stuffing them, starting with the condiments.
That is about the least glamorous picture ever of vegan mayo, mustard, and avocado.
Next to join the wrap party was log seitan and spinach.
Voila!
With the baked eggplant sticks on the side.
Full disclosure, I had another wrap right after this using the rest of the eggplant (plus the same condiments, seitan, and spinach).
I was quite full after this, and sipped tea for the rest of the night. No dessert necessary.
Football and “f” food coming up soon! Go Pack go!
Eggplant is so tough to do correctly, I agree. I’ve found that my favorite way to eat it is grilled with a drizzle of olive oil….I feel like the baked version would actually be similar to that. Have you ever tried making “eggplant lasagna” by scooping out the innards and filling it with nutritional yeast, marinara and hummus? It’s awesome.
Mmm. No other words necessary!
when i want my vegs crispy i bake them at 475. it’s high yes but it works! i usually make eggplant chips in moon shapes and bake them at 475 (on speed bake) for about 25 minutes then broil them for about 2-3 and they get to a more crispy taste! doo iiit
Hey Elise,
I made the log seitan. Definitely super delicious! I kneaded it in my food processor, so that there would be a bit more “chewiness” to it. Thanks for the recipe! I think I’ve found a tofurkey replacement for the holidays.
You get an ‘A’ for effort! We go to the Eggplant Festival in Loomis, CA every year and taste the assorment of eggplant dishes. My favorite was eggplant tacos last year. I have no idea how they did it (probably fried the eggplant), but it was tasty.
You’re more likely to get “crispy” eggplant if you sweat it first to get rid of the moisture… just sprinkle the sliced eggplant with salt until the water starts to bead on the surface, then pat it dry.
<3 <3
if you figure out how to get eggplant into the crispy form (before it hits burned)….lmk!
i have been trying for a decade to figure out a way to cook eggplant perfectly and i either make mush or char-burnt 🙂
never in between!
Every time a recipe calls for baked eggplant, I always just end up picking it out and eating it before the whole thing is put together because it’s so damn good!
NO dessert!??? Blasphemy….
I’ve tried those wraps but they don’t “wrap”, haha they sort of just broke in half on me, no bueno!! Have fun tonight with the fam girlie 😀
Yummy! This looks delicious.
You’ve made me hungry now!
🙂
I bake my veggie sticks on 450 for 15 minutes on one side, then toss them and bake for another 10 minutes. They usually end up very crispy but not burned. Hope this helps. 🙂
LOVE these!! never would hav thought of eggplant fries!
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