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Chef Bobby's Summer Baby Eggplant and Avocado Salad

Published  August 25, 2018 10:15am EDT
FOX 2 Detroit

Summer is coming to a close, but it's not too late to enjoy a truly seasonal meal cooked the right way.  Chef Bobby Nahra, of the Encore Catering & Banquet Center in St. Clair Shores, stopped by the Fox2 Kitchen Saturday morning to show how to make​​​​ oven roasted baby summer eggplant and avocado salad over Sicilian breaded chicken breast and spaghetti alfredo. 

*Have a pot of salted water simmering for pasta on the stove. About 5-6 quarts. 

Alfredo sauce
Ingredients:
       ½ cup butter
       1 quart heavy whipping cream
       2 teaspoons minced garlic
       ¼ teaspoon salt optional "the cheese contains salt" high in sodium ! Plenty!
       ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
       1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano 
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese


Directions:
       In a saucepan or skillet, warm the butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan and stir until melted.
       Toss to combine, thinning with pasta water if necessary.

Italian style bread your Chicken Breast pat dry and two step olive oil to the seasoned Italian bread crumbs. Place on parchment! 

Bake at 375 18-20 minutes. Remove and let rest for 3-5 minutes. Julienne and place on top of Alfredo pasta. Top with Eggplant salad. 

Eggplant salad

Ingredients:

1 large semi Ripe Avocado
Pitted and Cubed large
2 medium ripe Rima tomato medium cubed. "Large Dice"
2 tablespoons Shaved Bermuda onion 
1 tablespoon Hungarian hot pepper julienned paper paper thin bro. 
1 baby Eggplant large dice

Directions: 
Dice Eggplant and place on baking pan lined with parchment paper. 
Drizzle olive oil and season with coarse sea salt. Sprinkle shaved onion and Hungarian pepper over Eggplant. 
And roast in oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Place tomatoes and avocados in non reactive mixing bowl "not aluminum" glass or porcelain only. 
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, drizzle olive oil and balsamic reduction and reserve.
Remove Eggplant mixture from oven and lift the parchment off the hot tray and place Eggplant on cool surface. Allow to cool for 10 minutes only. 

Chef Bobby's Notes: You want Eggplant warm not hot. Please Eggplant add to Avocado mixture while still warm. Do not over mix the salad. This result in mushy Avocado. 
Drizzle some balsamic reduction over the Roasted Eggplant salad and adorn with fresh grated Romano cheese.