Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [126]
1 large purple eggplant (about 1 ½ pounds), peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
3 tablespoons salt
GARLIC MARINARA SAUCE
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried basil
One 28- to 32-ounce can crushed tomatoes
½ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
1 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Salt the eggplant generously. (This step will remove the excess water from the eggplant, giving you a nice dish rather than a slow cooker full of water). After 10 minutes, turn the eggplant and salt the other side. Let stand for another 10 minutes. Blot the slices dry with paper towels and set aside while making the sauce.
heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and basil and sauté until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, pepper, and sugar; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.
spread a layer of the sauce on the bottom of the slow-cooker insert, then top with a layer of the eggplant. Spread an even layer of the mozzarella over the eggplant and sprinkle with some of the Asiago and Parmigiano. Top with a bit of the sauce. Continue to layer the sauce, eggplant, and cheeses, ending with the last bit of Asiago and Parmigiano.
cover and cook on low for 4 hours, until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted in the center. Allow the casserole to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
serves 6–8
Ratatouille
A dish from Provence, ratatouille was made famous by a Pixar movie starring a gourmand named Remy, a rodent to rival Mickey. In order to appeal to a food critic, Remy went back to the man’s roots and prepared a dish his mama used to make: ratatouille. Comfort foods soothe the soul, and in this instance, the Gallic soul. Ratatouille is a mélange of eggplant, zucchini, onions, and tomatoes, seasoned with the herbs of Provence, cooked low and slow. It can be served as a side dish or as main course with salad and a cheese course. Make sure to salt the vegetables before cooking to eliminate any excess liquid in the finished dish.
1 large eggplant (about 1½ pounds), peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
3 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, cut into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 medium onions, cut into half rounds
2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and sliced ½ inch thick
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence (see savvy)
1 bay leaf
¼ cup dry red wine
One 14- to 15-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, crushed in the palm of your hand, drained
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
put the eggplant and zucchini in a large colander and sprinkle with the salt. Let the vegetables stand in the colander for 1 hour, tossing them every 10 minutes or so. Press any excess water out of the vegetables by pressing down on them in the colander and then blotting with paper towels. Set aside.
heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onions, bell peppers, herbs, and bay leaf and sauté until there is no liquid left in the skillet, about 7 minutes. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.
stir in the eggplant and zucchini, the wine, tomatoes, and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thickened. Remove the cover and discard the bay leaf. Cook on low for 30 minutes.
serve the ratatouille hot, warm, or at room temperature.
serves 8
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