22 Ways for Eggplant to Help You Make It Through This Endless Motherf*cking Winter

Rachel —
Mar 17, 2014
COMMENT

Hello and welcome to this new thing we’re trying out where we help you figure out what you’re gonna put in your mouth this week. Some of these are recipes we’ve tried, some of these are recipes we’re looking forward to trying, all of them are fucking delicious. Tell us what you want to put in your piehole or suggest your own recipes, and next week we’ll check in and talk about which things we made, which things we loved, and which things have changed us irreversibly as people.

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This winter has lasted literally forever. Remember the polar vortex? That was so long ago it feels like an entirely other winter but it’s actually still this same winter. I know, I don’t want to talk about it. Comfort food is a key element of making it through long winters like these, but at this point even cheezy tater tots don’t sound good anymore because you’ve eaten them eighteen times. Do yourself a favor and go pick up some eggplant. Seriously, do it. It’s earthy, hearty, takes on other flavors well, and fills out other recipes so they leave you feeling warm, full and loved instead of cold, peckish and forever alone. Also, you’re probably about to get scurvy. So fix yourself one (or more!) of these recipes, let us know how it was, and we’ll all munch while we stare out the window waiting for spring to get its shit together.

1. Sausage, Fennel, And Eggplant Rigatoni

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via Healthy Recipe Ecstasy

2. Eggplant Caponatina Crostini

via Shared Appetite
via Shared Appetite

3. Mexican Fried Eggplant Sandwich

via Serious Eats
via Serious Eats

4. Sweet Corn Polenta with Eggplant Sauce

via Food52
via Food52

5. Ottolenghi’s Burnt Eggplant w/ Pomegranate and Tahini

via Veggies & Gin
via Veggies & Gin

Rachel: This is truly one of my favorite and most-cooked recipes. I love it because while a lot of vegetable recipes require you to have a lot of fresh ingredients on hand, literally the only fresh vegetable you need is one eggplant (and maaaaybe some parsley but if you leave that out it won’t be the end of the world). Everything else is nonperishable, so if it’s 2 pm and you’re starving and you want to have a delicious lunch in just like 15 minutes, congrats! All you need to have done is bought a single eggplant earlier in the week and you’re good. Also the part where you roast it over the gas stove is really satisfying?


6. Roasted Eggplant with Lemon Garlic Sauce

via Whole Foods Explorer
via Whole Foods Explorer

7. Chickpea Stuffed Eggplant with Couscous and Tahini Sauce

via Dishing Up the Dirt
via Dishing Up the Dirt

8. Meat & Rice Stuffed Baby Eggplants

via Busy in Brooklyn
via Busy in Brooklyn

9. Roasted Eggplant Soup

via Smitten Kitchen
via Smitten Kitchen

10. Tunisian Spiced Roasted Eggplant & Pepper Salad

via Drum Beets
via Drum Beets

11. Greek Eggplant Dip (Melitzanosalata)

via Lemon & Olives
via Lemon & Olives

12. Vegan Eggplant Schnitzel and Coleslaw Burger

via Veggieful
via Veggieful

13. Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Mozzarella

via Smitten Kitchen
via Smitten Kitchen

14. Marinated Eggplant with Capers and Mint

via Smitten Kitchen
via Smitten Kitchen

15. Thai Eggplant Rounds

via Blogging Over Thyme
via Blogging Over Thyme

16. Miso Glazed Eggplant

via Just One Cookbook
via Just One Cookbook

Rachel: This is easy, simple and delicious. It’s good for when you have an eggplant that you need to eat but aren’t up to designing a whole three-course meal around it. How can you go wrong? You can’t, is the thing.


17. Spicy Eggplant Pasta

via Food52
via Food52

18. Easy Awesome Eggplant Tian

via Serious Eats
via Serious Eats

19. Charles Phan’s Roasted Eggplant and Leek Salad

via Serious Eats
via Serious Eats

20. Eggplant-Almond Enchiladas

via Serious Eats
via Serious Eats

21. Eggplant & Black Eyed Pea Curry

via Post Punk Kitchen
via Post Punk Kitchen

Rachel: This is something where it’s really nice in the middle of winter to remember that last month you made a whole bunch of this and froze some and it’s ready for you to defrost and get all up into. It’s not the most eggplant-y dish, so if you’re looking for that sweet eggplant flavor, you could be disappointed. But it’s delicious and flavorful and filling and a great addition to your curry repertoire!


22. Spicy Peanut Eggplant And Shallot Stew

via Post Punk Kitchen
via Post Punk Kitchen

Let us know if you’ll be trying out any of these recipes! And if you have some eggplant recipes of your own, share them! Instructions on how to upload images to your comments are below.

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Rachel

Rachel is Autostraddle’s Managing Editor and the editor who presides over news & politics coverage. Originally from Boston, MA, Rachel now lives in the Midwest. Topics dear to her heart include bisexuality, The X-Files and tacos. Her favorite Ciara video is probably “Ride,” but if you’re only going to watch one, she recommends “Like A Boy.” You can follow her on twitter and instagram.

Rachel has written 1140 articles for us.

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