Mimsy Were the Borogoves

Food: Recipes, cookbook reviews, food notes, and restaurant reviews. Unless otherwise noted, I have personally tried each recipe that gets its own page, but not necessarily recipes listed as part of a cookbook review.

Eggplant Chili Snacks

Jerry Stratton, January 20, 2009

Quick to make, though you do have to watch the broiler to make sure the eggplant doesn’t burn.

[print]

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Eggplant (large)
  • 1 green chili
  • 8 long strips of red bell pepper
  • 8 2-inch strips of white cheddar cheese
  • oregano
  • coarse sea salt
  • olive oil (a lot)

Steps

  1. Preheat the broiler if you’re using a broiler. If you have a grill ready, use that instead. If you’re using a broiler, watch it carefully; the eggplant slices are thin and burn easily.
  2. Slice the eggplant in half the long way, and then slice each half into five long strips. Discard the fifth strip with all of the skin on it.
  3. Slice the green chili into thin round slices.
  4. Fry the chili slices in a lot of olive oil. Turn them occasionally and watch them closely; they’ll burn easily, too. When they’re done, put them on a paper towel and lightly salt them.
  5. Fry the red bell strips in the same pan, with the same oil, until the strips are just barely blackened. Set aside with the chili slices.
  6. Lay the eggplant slices on a pan for putting in the broiler, or just lay them on the grill. Brush them with a lot of olive oil.
  7. Broil them for about 3 minutes per side.
  8. Remove them from the pan (in my oven, I have to do two batches) and, on one half of each slice, lay one strip of cheese, two or three slices of chili, and one strip of bell pepper. Sprinkle a pinch of oregano to taste, and then fold the eggplant slice over. Dot the eggplant “sandwiches” with a touch of olive oil, and sprinkle a pinch of salt on each one.
  9. Reduce the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake the eggplant “sandwiches” for about five minutes, until the cheese is melted.

These are pretty versatile. The original from Appetizers, Finger Food, Buffets & Parties used basil and smoked mozzarella as the filling. The hard part is slicing the eggplant. I usually slice it in half lengthwise first, and then slice each half into fifths lengthwise.

They’re good warm or cold.

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