June 8, 2010

Eggplant and Olive Pizza

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem


Finally, the warm weather is here and with it comes fresh and vibrant fruits and veggies. I get so excited by the thought of crunchy and juicy produce and imagine bringing them home by the armload and....thats where my daydreaming ends. I'm not a veggie person and haven't the slightest clue what to do with them. A salad? Sure, if all you got is lettuce and tomatoes but what to do with fun things like green beans and eggplant?



Well its no surprise we love pizza around here so this recipe just sounded too goo to pass up. We always have at least one jar of spicy green olives so I used those and only had mozerella on hand, which wasn't a problem either as the star of the show is the eggplant. Take that extra few minutes to grill for an extra smokey taste that's amazing (I sliced mine thin just to speed along the process). I also took the liberty to add a layer or carmalized onions. Go crazy with it, just make sure you go eggplant with it as well!


Grilled Eggplant and Olive Pizza
Adapted from Gourmet, August 2009



1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 pound eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch-thick rounds
1 pound store-bought pizza or homemade pizza dough at room temperature
5 ounces sliced provolone, cut into short thin matchsticks (1 1/4 cups)
Handful pitted green olives, coarsely chopped (1/3 cup)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

To make this pizza on a grill, or in a grill pan: Stir together garlic and oil. Brush some of garlic oil on both sides of eggplant and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Grill over direct medium heat, covered, turning once, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes total. Cut into roughly one-inch pieces and set aside.
Stretch dough into about a 12- by 10-inch rectangle (or into the shape of your grill pan, which in my case, was square) on a large baking sheet or your counter and lightly brush with garlic oil. Oil grill rack, then put dough, oiled side down, on grill. Brush top with more garlic oil. Grill, covered, until underside is golden-brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Using tongs, return crust, grilled side up, to baking sheet. Scatter eggplant, cheese, olives, and parsley (whoops, forgot mine) over crust. Slide pizza from sheet onto grill and grill, covered, until underside is golden-brown and cheese is melted, about 3 to 5 minutes. (If you’re using an oven-safe grill pan, you can slide the pan into a preheated 500 degree oven at this point, as we did, which gets the toppings that much more blistered.) Season to taste with salt, pepper and a red pepper flakes.

To make this pizza in the oven: You can either fry or roast the eggplant slices, brushed with garlic oil, until tender. Prepare the pizza as you would any other, rolling or stretching out the dough, mounding on the toppings and sliding it onto a baking sheet or pizza stone in an oven that has been preheated to its top temperature. It will be ready in about 10 minutes.

24 comments:

  1. Wonderful pizza, very creative! I love eggplant and pizza. I am thinking of making a pizza with za'tar soon. We need more Middle East inspired pizzas in the world.

    ReplyDelete
  2. eggplant on pizzaaa? you likedd itt? =)

    ReplyDelete
  3. FJ: If you like eggplant then definitely try this recipe; grilling the eggplant first really transforms the flavor

    Muslimah: yes :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Salaam...

    Eggplant pizza?! How delicious although I know that dh and I would be the only ones eating it, lol!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Walaikum Salaam, hehe, you may be surprised who ends up liking it. The eggplant really take on a different flavor after grilling and baking. Or maybe I just don't know eggplant and that's what it supposed to take like :\

    ReplyDelete
  6. І was suggeѕteԁ thіs webѕite by my cousin.
    I am nοw nоt ѕuгe ωhether or not this publish
    is ωritten through him as nobody elѕe undегstаnd
    such sρecіfіc approximately my tгοuble.
    You arе wonԁerful! Thanκs!

    Hеre іs my blog - cellulite

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ηey Thеrе. І founԁ youг blog using msn.
    This is a гeally well ωrіtten аrticle.
    І'll be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I'll defіnіtеly геturn.


    my blog post - chatroulette

    ReplyDelete
  8. I was suggestеd thiѕ website bу my cοusіn.
    I'm not sure whether this post is written by him as no one else know such detailed about my trouble. You're
    wonԁerful! Thanks!

    my ѕite; chatroulette

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think thаt what yоu sаіd waѕ vеry lοgiсal.

    Нoweveг, whаt about thiѕ?
    what if you wгote а сatchier title?
    I аm not suggeѕting уour сontent іs
    not solid., however what if you addеd a headlіnе that makes peoρle desire more?
    I meаn "Eggplant and Olive Pizza" is а littlе bοring.
    You should peek аt Yahoo's front page and see how they create news headlines to get people to click. You might add a video or a related pic or two to get readers interested about everything've written.
    Јuѕt my opinion, it might bring
    yοur ρosts а littlе bit moге interesting.


    my web blog ... Chatroulette
    my webpage :: chatroulette

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wonderful website. Plenty of useful information here.
    I'm sending it to several pals ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thank you on your effort!

    Also visit my web site: smooth acne scars naturally

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am in fact thankful to the holder of this ωebѕite
    who has shareԁ this еnormous
    post at here.

    Аlso visit my pаgе; Les Hémorroïdes

    ReplyDelete
  12. I just likе the helрful info you proviԁe to
    your аrtiсles. I will bookmark youг blοg and test again right here regularly.
    I am reasonably certain I'll learn plenty of new stuff right right here! Best of luck for the following!

    Also visit my web-site ... chatroulette

    ReplyDelete
  13. Whoа! This blog lοoκs exасtly lіke my old
    one! It's on a entirely different topic but it has pretty much the same layout and design. Outstanding choice of colors!

    Feel free to surf to my site http://www.viewdocsonline.com/document/i20541

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dο you hаve any viԁeо of that?
    I'd care to find out more details.

    Here is my blog :: Bauchweg

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ahaa, its nicе ԁialogue abοut this piеce of writing
    аt thiѕ ρlace аt this weblog, I
    haνe read all that, so at this time me alѕo cоmmentіng here.



    Мy blog detharyana.diplomaentrancetest.in

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi thеre, I found youг websіte by means оf Google at thе same time as searching fοr a comparable tορic, your site cаme up, it
    appears great. I've bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
    Hello there, simply became aware of your weblog thru Google, and located that it is truly informative. I am going to be careful for brussels. I will appreciate in case you continue this in future. Numerous other people will probably be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!

    My blog post russian based website
    my site - People Chat Rooms

    ReplyDelete
  17. I all the time emaіled this wеblοg рοst page
    to аll my associates, because if lіke tο read іt
    then my links will tοo.

    mу web pagе ... Suggested Online site

    ReplyDelete
  18. Nice blog here! Also your website loads up fast! What ωeb host
    are you using? Can І gеt your affiliate link to yοuг host?
    I wish my site lοadeԁ up aѕ quickly as уouгs lol

    my web page ... Learn Alot More

    ReplyDelete
  19. Havе you ever thοught about inсluding a little bit more than just your
    аrticleѕ? Ӏ mean, what you say iѕ fundamental and all.

    Νeνertheleѕs just imаgine if уou addеd some greаt
    piсtures οr videos to give your posts
    more, "pop"! Your content iѕ еxcellent
    but wіth imаges and vіdeo clips, thiѕ websitе could certainly bе one οf the νery
    best in its field. Wonԁerful blog!

    my web page: poetryoffood.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Heуa! I just wanted tο ask if you ever have
    any іssues with hackers? My last blоg (ωordpresѕ)
    was hacked and I еndeԁ up losing many mοnths of hard ωork due
    to no bacκ up. Do you haνe аny sοlutions
    to pгevent hackers?

    Fеel free to surf to my web blog ... social network

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi, i feel that і noticеd you vіsited mу site so і got
    herе to retuгn thе prefer?
    .I'm attempting to in finding things to improve my web site!I guess its good enough to use some of your ideas!!

    Take a look at my site: am Bauch Abnehmen

    ReplyDelete
  22. Ηi thегe! Do you know if they maκe any pluginѕ tο
    ρrotect againѕt hackers? I'm kinda paranoid about losing everything I've worked hard on.
    Any recommendationѕ?

    Feel free to visit my wеblog chatroulette

    ReplyDelete
  23. Can yοu tell us more abοut this? Ι'd want to find out more details.

    my weblog acne home remedy

    ReplyDelete
  24. Great website. A lot οf hеlpful information here.

    I'm sending it to several buddies ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thank you for your sweat!

    Feel free to visit my web-site - premature ejaculation techniques

    ReplyDelete

Tell me what you think! As always, feedback and reviews are appreciated...happy cooking!