Should I salt my eggplant? Also, quickest most flavorful way to cook beets?

Question

I'm going to make a small dish of eggplant parm and have read that I should salt and let the eggplant sit to get rid of excess water. How long should I do this for?

Also, I really don't want to use my oven in the summer to cook beets for an hour, but will boiling them cause them to lose flavor?

Thank you!!

Answer 1

You not only get rid of excess water when you salt the eggplant, you get rid of the bitterness in the eggplant as well.  I'd let them sit for at least 15 minutes, but half an hour would be better.

You can boil beets, but their sweetness is best enhanced by roasting them.  You might want to try to wrap them in foil like a potato and drop them in the slow cooker.  That might work.

Answer 2

Yes salt them and beets

SUNSHINE BEETS  

3 cups diced or sliced cooked beets

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons butter

In a small saucepan, stir together cornstarch, sugar and salt until well mixed. Combine well with orange juice; cook over medium-high heat until mixture thickens.

Add cooked beets and butter and cook for 2-3 minutes or until beets are hot and butter has melted.

Serve warm or chilled.

Serving suggestion: Saute beet tops with chopped pancetta in a tablespoon of olive oil until tender. Mound a serving portion on dish and top with Sunshine beets



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ORANGE GLAZED BEETS  

1 tablespoon chopped onions

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup apple, or currant jelly (melted)

salt and pepper

1 (15 1/4oz) can of sliced beets, drained

Saute onions in butter until tender. Stir in cornstarch. Stir in orange zest, orange juice, jelly, salt and pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Add beets. Cook until hot.

Note: Use jelly that creates a nice, shiny glaze.

Answer 3

I never salt mine and it always turns out fine!

Beet recipes before look good!

Answer 4

i never salt them because it makes them to mushy for parmesian!!

but you would salt slices and place in strainer over bowl for 1 hour

beets i would stem them in microwave

Answer 5

No need to salt eggplants - it makes no difference to the flavour - old wives tale, same applies to cucumber and baby marrow.

Answer 6

I make Eggplant Parm all the time.  

My tips are:

Purchase "male" eggplant because it has less seeds.  It is identified by the bottom of the eggplant (opposite stem end).  You will notice males have a round belly button vs. the females have an oval.  Besides having too many seeds, the females are more bitter tasting.  Peeling the skin from the eggplant also helps to eliminate bitterness.  Do not buy eggplant with shriveled skin which indicates that the vegetable is old and possibly brown inside.

Slice your eggplant 1/4-inch thick (or 1/2-inch if you prefer).  If you notice a green lining around the edge of the eggplant slices, then you must salt the slices.

Salting Procedure:

Place a cooling rack inside a jelly roll pan and lay eggplant in a single layer.  Do not overlap them.  Sprinkle both sides with Kosher Salt.  Cover with paper towels and let sit for 30 to 45 minutes total (flip over half-way through).  Change the paper towels when you notice that they are too moist.  Remove salt with a dampened paper towels.

I bread my eggplant:  Dip slices in flour first then into beaten egg which is mixed with a little milk, then dip in Italian bread crumbs patted.

Do not fry with olive oil because eggplant soaks it up too much.  They are sponges!  Vegetable oil is best.

Roasted Beet Salad

2  14-1/2 oz cans sliced Beets, rinsed and drained

1-1/2 Cups Crumbled Feta Cheese

                     or "solid" Ricotta Cheese (Ricotta Salata)

3/4 Cup Pitted Ripe Black Olives

1/8 Cup Chopped Fresh Dill

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

1/8 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar or slightly less

1/8 to 1/4 Teaspoon Tabasco Sauce

Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.

Optional:  12-ounce Bag of Broccoli Florets, rinsed and trimmed with vegetable peeler (outer skin and bottom of stalks), place in a plastic bag leaving the end open and PARTIALLY cook in the microwave for 3 minutes.

Place an alum. foiled baking sheet in the broiler and preheat. Then remove sheet from oven and oil spray the foil and lay the beets in a single layer.  Broil the beets for approximately 15 minutes, turning every 3 minutes.  When the edges become brown remove from the broiler.  Cool beets.  Mix remaining ingredients and toss carefully with the beets.