Eggplant Patties

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Now, I guess I got you intrigued as what this dish was yesterday. I had gotten a some pretty good guesses, but none came close. Well...here it is. Eggplant patties!! I wanted to try a new way to eating them. I figured I can make some kind of veggie ball with them. Or I can go the usual route of pan-frying or roasting, but you've all seen that already. Then I thought of making them into patties of some kind. Yes, that's what I'll do. Veggie patties. Mashed them after a brief boil in some water, mixed in chopped onions, herbs, panko crumbs and an egg as a binder. The latter is optional for those who don't want egg in them. Made 4 sizable patties.

I grilled these patties babies on the George Foreman grill. It's the big old one before all the new grades they put into them. The one that's a pain the butt to clean sometimes. Here's a trick to get all that crud off. As soon as you take all the items off the grill and unplug it, run a damp paper towel up and down the grill. It removes the stuff instantly. It has to be hot still.

Anyway, you can bake these also, if you don't have a grill. I realized I didn't have any buns. Hmph! I guess I'll live without bread for one day. Eh, buns...we don't need no stinkin' buns! I ate them just the way they are. But I thought it wouldn't be complete without a creamy sauce. I mixed together a simple tomato sauce and mascarpone combination with a dash of dry herbs that I simmered for a bit to combine them then let it cool. Really good. A great match with the eggplant. The sauce can be used as a dip, too.

I served this with some zucchini sticks.

Makes 4 patties.



Eggplant Patties

1 medium eggplant - peeled and cubed
1 1/2 c panko crumbs
1/2 small onion - diced
1 garlic clove - minced
1 Tbsp dry parsley
1 Tbsp dry oregano
1 egg - beaten (optional)
salt
pepper

Tomato-Mascarpone Sauce
8oz can tomato sauce
2-3 tbsp mascarpone cheese
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme


For the sauce:
Combine all ingredients together in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally. Cook for about 5 min, then transfer to a bowl.

For the patties:
Put the eggplant in boiling water for 5 min until tender. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and into a large bowl.

Mash the eggplant. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add in the onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, egg and panko. Mix well.

Divide into 4 patties.

To grill: depending on heat, grill patties for roughly 5 min per side
To bake: In a preheated 350˚F oven, bake the patties for 15-20 min on a lightly greased baking sheet. Flip the patties half way to give an even browning.