Get Cooking_ 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen - Mollie Katzen [55]
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 (see Chapter 7: Sides), rice (see Chapter 7: Sides), 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.
chickpea and mango curry
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