Stewed Eggplant

I love eggplant.  In the summer, my favorite way to cook it is just to grill it.  Now that it's getting colder, though, I love to put it into all sorts of stews.  This recipe focuses on the eggplant- there are not a ton of other ingredients to get in the way.  I used cardamon and ginger as my predominant seasonings in this recipe, but you could definitely go with a more Italian-y flavor profile by omitting those and subbing in some basil and oregano.

What you need:

1-2 teaspoons olive oil (or more if you want something richer.  Eggplant and lots of olive oil are delicious, but I wanted to keep this lighter)
1 medium onion, diced
1 inch cube of peeled ginger, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced
1 LARGE eggplant (or two medium), cut into 1 inch chunks
1/3 cup red wine or broth
1 medium/large tomato, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
Salt, pepper, and cardamon to taste


Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, ginger, garlic, and jalapeno.  Saute for a couple minutes (I cut up the eggplant while these were in the pan).  Add the eggplant and a pinch of salt.  Saute for a few minutes, then add the wine/broth and scrape up any brown bits. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low, and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 20-30 minutes. The eggplant needs to cook through and should start to fall apart.  Add the tomato, salt, pepper, and cardamon.  Cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until tomato has cooked through.

I left this as is this time, but it would be great topped with a little goat cheese or a full-fat Greek yogurt.  Or try serving with pita chips or as a bruschetta on top of pieces of toasted pita bread.

Broiled Calamari Salad

YUM.  This is so good and also really healthy.  I've now made two versions- the picture is of the "Mediterranean" version.  Both recipes are below.  The ingredients are listed separately, but the instructions are the same for both.  I served the first version with the Mediterranean Vegetable Salad recipe I posted earlier and some Parmesan garlic bread.  The "Asian" version was served with a curried pumpkin soup and some sweet potato pancakes.

The first version is largely based off of http://askgeorgie.com/?p=1795 with only slight modifications.  So thanks Georgie!

The Mediterranean Version Ingredients:

1 pound calamari, cleaned and sliced into bite size pieces (use both the tentacles and the tubes)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic (and I also added a bit of garlic powder because I like it extra-garlicky)
1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan (optional, sprinkle on top after serving)

The Asian Version Ingredients:

3/4 pound calamari, cleaned and sliced into bite size pieces (use both the tentacles and the tubes)
1/4 pound raw shrimp, peeled (use large or jumbo so that they cook evenly enough with the calamari)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice or rice vinegar
2 tablespoons minced garlic (and I also added a bit of garlic powder because I like it extra-garlicky)
1 can (14-15 ounces) Asian stir fry mushrooms, drained and rinsed, with the extra moisture squeezed out
1/2 leek, chopped


Directions:

Preheat oven to broil on high. Mix all ingredients together and spread in a greased 13 x 9 pan.  Broil for 10-20 minutes (depends on your oven's temp) until cooked through and slightly browned.  Stir it once during this process.  Enjoy!

Mediterranean Mixed Vegetable Salad

Mmm... this was so good!  It's a delicious combination of all sorts of vegetables, both roasted and fresh, with the addition of olives and anchovies for some serious flavor.

What you need:

8 ounce cremini mushroons

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

1 head of garlic, with the very top snipped off

1 tomato, chopped

Cucumber, chopped (I probably used about a cup)

1/2 cup Greek olives, pits removed (I just used a jar that said "Greek Olives", because that's what we have here, but if I was back in the States, I'd probably use Kalamata)

1/2 cup artichokes, chopped

1 small red onion, sliced very thinly

1/3 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped

1 tin of anchovies, chopped

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

2-3 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar

1-2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

Black Pepper

Parmesan or Romano cheese (optional)

Start by roasting the mushrooms, onion, and garlic head:   Spray a baking pan with olive oil, spread the vegetables out on it, spray again, and season with salt and pepper.  Roast at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, or until mushrooms are cooked through, the onion is slightly blackened, and the garlic is soft.  Let cool a bit. 

Mix together the tomato, cucumber, Greek olives, artichokes, red onion, parsley, and the roasted vegetables.  Squeeze the garlic out of the cloves.  Mix it with the anchovies, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and a bit of black pepper.  Pour this over the vegetables and mix it all up.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes, but preferably an hour or two, to allow the flavors to meld.  Give it a taste test and season with extra pepper, vinegar, or lemon juice if necessary.  

Serve with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese on top and enjoy!