greek-style stuffed eggplant
Makes 4 main-dish servings, or 8 side
dishes if you cut them in half
This a real crowd-pleaser—the kind of dish your friends
will be flattered that you went to the trouble to prepare. But your secret will
be that it’s really not that much trouble. The flavor is complex, the texture is
a combination of smooth, chewy, and crunchy in all the right ways, and the
overall effect is one of celebration. This would be a great choice for someone’s
birthday dinner. Much of the preparation can be done in advance. You can even
make and bake the eggplant 2 to 3 days ahead and store them, tightly wrapped in
foil, in the refrigerator. They will reheat well, still wrapped in the foil, in
a 300°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
2 medium eggplants (1 pound each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red or yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 good-sized cloves)
1 medium bell pepper (any color), chopped
½ teaspoon salt
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
One 12-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and
coarsely chopped
Heaping ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 cups toasted breadcrumbs (see Chapter 3: Pastas)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts
1. Adjust the oven rack to the
center position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Carefully cut the eggplants in
half lengthwise with a large, sharp knife. Try to get equal halves with clean
edges.
3. Use a soup spoon or teaspoon to
dig into the flesh of each eggplant half and scrape it out. You will find that it comes out fairly easily, mostly in longish strips,
once you get it started. Pull and scrape out the flesh, leaving a shell about
¼-inch thick. Set the eggplant shells aside.
4. Transfer the eggplant flesh to
a cutting board, and chop it into roughly ½-inch pieces. Transfer the chopped
eggplant to a bowl, and set aside.
5. Place a large (10-to 12-inch)
heavy skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil and
swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion and herbs, and cook over medium heat,
stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Stir
in the garlic and cook for another minute. Then add the chopped eggplant, bell
pepper, and salt. Stir until well combined, turning up the heat to medium-high.
Continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the eggplant
is soft. Add the drained tomatoes and artichoke hearts, keeping the heat at
medium-high. Stir and cook for 5 minutes longer. Don’t cover the pan—you want
the juices from all the vegetables to evaporate as much as possible.
6. Turn off the heat, and stir in
the feta, breadcrumbs, and black pepper. Stir until thoroughly combined, then
set aside until cool enough to handle comfortably.
7. Arrange the eggplant shells in
a 9-by 13-inch baking pan, facing up as squarely as possible. (Ideally they will
just fit, with the sides touching to prop one another up. It’s okay if it seems
crowded—they will shrink a little while baking.) Divide the filling evenly among
the 4 shells, pushing it gently into the cavities and mounding it with the back
of a spoon. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, and bake it in the oven
for 45 minutes.
8. Remove the pan from the oven,
and carefully (so as to avoid a steam burn) lift off the foil. Sprinkle the pine
nuts or walnuts over the tops of the filled eggplant halves, and gently (and
carefully) press them into place. Return the uncovered pan to the oven for
another 15 minutes of baking. Serve hot or warm.
GET
CREATIVE
- Make this vegan by omitting the cheese.
- A few handfuls of minced parsley added to the filling will add color and some flavor.
- Instead of breadcrumbs, you can use the same amount of cooked bulgur , rice , or orzo (rice-shaped pasta) for a heartier dish.
- Add ½ cup lightly toasted sunflower seeds to the filling, or sprinkle a few untoasted sunflower seeds on top instead of, or in addition to, the nuts.
- Red pepper flakes (a big pinch or two) will add some zing to the filling or just on top.
- Sprinkle with fresh basil and/or mint leaves, cut into strips, just before serving.
- Use crumbled goat cheese instead of feta for a slightly milder flavor.
Makes 4 servings
This is an impressively simple recipe with fabulous
flavor. The first step is finding an excellent curry powder. Since curry is a
blend of spices (usually turmeric, cumin, cardamom, mustard seed, and others)
and no two are alike, the only way to know what one will taste like is to try
it. When you find The One, stock up—even if it’s just for this recipe. I predict
you’ll make it often. While fresh mango is wonderful, it’s unpredictable in
texture and yield, and the peeling and pitting makes for a fair amount of messy
work. For a cooked recipe like this, I recommend using frozen mango chunks, one
of my favorite convenience foods. They’re not expensive, and they keep for
months in your freezer. Just take whatever quantity you need out of the bag,
close it up again, and put the bag back in the freezer. You don’t even need to
defrost the mango before adding it to this dish. In fact, if you let it defrost
into the curry as it cooks, the resulting sauce will be that much better. This
curry goes perfectly with basmati rice, so put some on to cook before you begin
(see Chapter 7: Sides).
1 tablespoon canola, soy, or peanut oil
1 teaspoon butter
1 medium red or yellow onion, diced
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder
½ teaspoon salt
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas (about 3 cups cooked
chickpeas)
2 heaping cups (about 12 ounces) frozen mango chunks
A few dashes cayenne pepper
1. Place a large (10-to 12-inch)
heavy skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add the oil and swirl to
coat the pan. Toss in the butter, and swirl until it melts into the oil. Add the
onion, curry powder, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes,
or until the onion begins to soften.
2. Meanwhile, set a colander in
the sink and pour in the chickpeas; give them a quick rinse and allow them to
drain.
3. Add the chickpeas to the
skillet, stirring until they get completely coated with the onion and spices.
Turn the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5
minutes.
4. Stir in the mango and cover the
pan. Let it cook on its own for another 5 minutes, then give it a stir. If it
looks like it needs more “sauce,” you can add up to ½ cup water. If you do, let
it come to a boil, then turn the heat back down to low, cover the pan again, and
cook slowly for an additional 10 minutes. (At this point, the curry benefits
greatly from being allowed to just sit, covered, off the heat for 5 to 10
minutes. Not absolutely necessary, but this helps develop the flavor.)
5. Serve hot, over rice, topped
with a fine dusting of cayenne.
GET
CREATIVE
- Make this vegan by replacing the butter with an extra tablespoon of oil.
- If you can’t find mangoes, you can substitute fresh or frozen peaches.
- Serve lime wedges on the side for squeezing on top.
- Garnish with a small amount of finely minced red onion or shallot.
- Add some chopped cilantro, mixing it in at the end of cooking and/or sprinkling it over each serving.
- Throw in a handful or two of fresh baby spinach leaves when you add the mango. It will cook in.
- Stir a large spoonful of yogurt into the sauce just before serving, or just top each serving with a small dollop.
- Add up to ½ cup canned coconut milk (light or regular) when you add the mango to make a rich, creamy sauce.
- Top each serving with whole or chopped toasted cashews or roasted peanuts.
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