Simmered Eggplant And Tomato Food

MOROCCAN-SPICED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO STEW

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add diced eggplant, drizzle with avocado or olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat and roast for 30-35 minutes, flipping / tossing near the 20-minute mark.
• In the meantime, heat a large rimmed pan or pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil (or water) and onions. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until soft and slightly caramelized.
• Add garlic, cumin, and paprika and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute more.
• Add tomatoes and their juices as well as water (or vegetable broth). Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 4 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
• Remove cover and add (rinsed, drained) chickpeas (optional), maple syrup, and harissa paste and stir to coat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat.
• Remove roasted eggplant from oven, turn oven off, and add eggplant to the tomatoes and chickpeas. Stir to combine and cover. Simmer over medium-low / low heat for another 10 minutes to allow flavors to deepen.
• Taste and adjust flavors as needed, adding more maple syrup to balance the heat, cumin, or paprika for smokiness, salt to taste, or harissa paste for spice.
• Serve as is or over rice or grain of choice (or pasta or roasted vegetables) with wedges of fresh lemon and fresh chopped parsley or cilantro. Additional harissa paste can be added as garnish for additional heat.
• Store completely cooled leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat on the stovetop, adding more water or vegetable broth as needed to rehydrate.

TOMATO AND EGGPLANT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a medium (10 to 11-inch) pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the eggplant and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Add a little more olive oil if the eggplant is sticking.
• Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot, add the onions and fennel, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, stirring often. Add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, fennel seeds, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Pour the can of whole tomatoes, including the liquid, into a food processor and pulse until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes and the liquid to the pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot in large bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

EGGPLANT AND TOMATO PASTA

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a colander and season generously with salt. Fill a 1-gallon plastic bag with water, seal tightly and place over eggplant to weigh down. Let stand for 40 minutes.
• Rinse the salt off the eggplant, and pat dry. Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add eggplant and cook, stirring often, until golden brown on all sides, about 20 minutes.
• Add garlic, tomatoes and their juice to the pan. Stir in the sugar and salt. Simmer until sauce has slightly thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes or longer depending on how juicy your tomatoes are. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add the basil and cook 1 minute more. Serve over pasta.

SMOKY TOMATO AND EGGPLANT SPREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Partially peel the outside of the eggplant, leaving 1 1/2- to 2-inch strips of skin intact, creating alternating stripes of flesh and skin. Cut the eggplant into 2-inch cubes and add it to a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the eggplant with 6 tablespoons of the olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Transfer the eggplant to the oven and roast for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through. After 40 minutes the eggplant should be very tender and browned.
• In the meantime, heat a high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallot has softened, about 5 minutes. Next, add the red pepper and garlic and stir to combine. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, cayenne and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir to coat the vegetables in the spices. Add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Add the cooked eggplant to the tomato mixture and stir to combine, slightly mashing the eggplant into the sauce. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and serve with grilled sourdough.

SIMMERED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
• Saute onion until tender; add garlic.
• Add chunks of eggplant and stir until you can see all of the oil is absorbed on the bottom of the pan. Add remaining oil and stir.
• Season with salt, pepper, and flakes. Cover until eggplant becomes slightly translucent.
• Add both cans of tomatoes with liquid and stir, mixing all ingredients well.
• Cover pan and simmer on high so the mixture bubbles.
• Stir again and reduce to low heat.
• Cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. (depending on your tender preference.).
• Serve as a main dish plain or over a grain.