Veggie Cashew Chili

Veggie Cashew Chili

I could swear that I put this on the sheepthrillsmansion website a while ago, but I can't get on that site right now, so here it is again. It may differ slightly from that recipe, as I don't write recipes down, unless someone asks. . This makes a lot of chili, and can be frozen etc.

2 medium sized eggplants, peeled and diced into 1" pieces
   (NOTE: there are "boy" eggplants and "girl" eggplants. Really.
  Use the boys, as they have fewer seeds. These have a narrow tapered bottom)

4 good sized onions, chopped
a lot of garlic -- at least half a head, peeled and chopped
4-5 carrots, cut into small rounds
3 green or red bell peppers, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
3 cans dark red kidney beans, or black beans, drained and rinsed well, or
   one lb dried beans, soaked and cooked until tender but not mushy
2 large cans crushed tomatoes, or alternatively, 4-5 smaller cans diced
tomatoes with green chiles (this latter option is better)
one can beer
4 tbsp chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
3 tbsp ground ancho chile
1 tbsp freshly ground cumin
2 tsp oregano
1 cup UNSALTED roasted cashews
handful chopped cilantro
1/4 cup vinegar -- pref. red wine or balsamic
salt and pepper to taste

Sauté eggplant and garlic together in olive oil. Eggplant will absorb all of the olive oil at first (use a nonstick pan so you don't have to keep adding oil), but eventually it will start to release it again. Add onions, peppers, carrots, saute for about 10 minutes more. Add all spices, and continue to stir and saute a few minutes more until fragrant.

Dump sautéed vegetables, cans of tomatoes, beans into a large slow cooker or stock pot on the stove. Add beer. Turn crock onto high for one - two hours, then put it on low for a few more hours or until guests arrive and vegetables are tender. Alternatively, if on the stove, bring to a boil, then lower and simmer for 1.5 - 2 hours.

About a half hour before serving, throw in the cashews, balsamic vinegar, and cilantro.

Serve with brown rice, shredded cheese. Whole milk yoghurt or sour cream on top is also good.

Carolyn
(9/16/02)

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Charlene's Eggplant Ideas

Charlene's Eggplant Ideas

Remember: eggplant can be horribly bitter, so usually you need to cut it up (I slice thickly), put LOTS of salt on each slice (I stack 'em in a colander) and let them sit and draw out the bitter juices for a while (15-30 minutes).

I NEVER fry eggplant, because they will always absorb MORE oil, no matter how much you give them. After they've released the juice, rinse them very well, lay them on a well-oiled (olive) cookie sheet, brush the tops with a bit more oil and bake at 350°-400° until they're done. Umm, half an hour? I never time it, but they should be soft to the touch.

At this point, they can be added to already-cooked pasta sauces, or chinesey-type dishes (mmm, eggplant in garlic sauce), and so on. I like to marinate them in a tasty vinaigrette for a few days and eat them on dense multigrain bread with sprouts as a tasty sandwich. Or toss them into a salad.

A couple of days ago I put a whole, washed eggplant into an extremely hot oven, turning it every 10 minutes or so until the skin was completely charred. Using two forks, I removed all the skin and cut off the stem/cap part (umm, I used a knife for that part). I mashed the flesh with garlic, finely chopped onion, lemon juice, a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, crushed red peppers and salt.

Fabulous dip/sandwich spread. If you add tahini (sesame paste) to it (just a few tablespoons), it magically becomes babagnoush, which is scooped up and eaten via torn-off bits of fresh pita.

Eggplant (sliced and baked as above) is also an integral layer of moussaka, very loosely the Greek version of shepherd's pie: ground meat (usually lamb) flavoured with tomato and some "sweet" spices: cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, topped with eggplant and bechamel sauce, and baked. Yummy.

Eggplant also belongs in ratatouille and tourlou, approximately the same things, one from Italy, the other from Turkey/Armenia/Greece, more or less: tomatoes, onions, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and various herbs. Good as a side dish or rice/pasta topper.

Big eggplant fan here.
Charlene in St Louis
(5/23/02)

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Carolyn's Ratatouille

Carolyn's Ratatouille

Peel and cut up an eggplant. Salt liberally, then put in a colander with a heavy plate on top to drain. Leave this way for about 1/2 hour, then rinse and blot dry. (The eggplant's juices can be bitter).

In a large dutch oven, saute garlic in olive oil (use lots).

Add, sauteing a few minutes or more after each addition, and stirring frequently:

Several onions, sliced, a couple of washed and sliced zucchini, some green and red bell peppers, the eggplant, and some canned or fresh tomatoes (if using fresh, peel and seed).

You can also add some mushrooms if you are partial to them, or perhaps some pitted greek olives. Lower heat and cook for an additional 30 minutes or thereabouts. Add fresh basil, parsley, and a bit of fresh oregano or marjoram, along with the juice of 1/2 lemon. Correct for salt and pepper.

Serve with crusty bread or pasta.

Carolyn
(5/20/02)

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Grilled Eggplant with Black Olive and Garlic Tapanade

Grilled Eggplant with Black Olive and Garlic Tapanade

Ooooooooooh yea! I forgot this one, its my favorite:

Grill the eggplant slices and top with a black olive and garlic tapanade. Brush both sides with olive oil and top with this sprinkled with a little parmesan/romano cheese.

Black Olive Tapanade:
 
1-1/2 cups Nicoise olives, pitted
4 cloves garlic, peeled
3 anchovy fillets
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

Mash all together in a Pilón or process in a food processor just a tiny bit.

Sheri
(5/20/02)

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Baba Ganoush and Hummous 2

Baba Ganoush

Lemon juice (freshly squeezed, I like it very lemony), garlic, roasted eggplants (put them in a 350°F oven on a cookie sheet, or into your grill, until soft, about 45 minutes), tahini, a bit of salt, black pepper, and a bit of cumin, pinch cayenne, toasted and ground.

I don't measure, just go by taste.

Whiz it around in the food processor, but don't puree it too much.

Hummous

Chick peas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, pinch of cumin and salt, if necessary (I use dried and cooked chickpeas, if using canned, you may have enough salt already).

I also like a pinch cayenne in this.

Carolyn
(8/9/01)

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Baba Ghanoush

Baba Ghanoush

I suppose I'm the only one who makes it with eggplant...

2 large eggplants
2-4 cloves garlic, or to taste
salt
1/2 cup tahini (less if the eggplants are small)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp cumin (optional)
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp olive oil
a few black olives or 1 tomato, thinly slice, to garnish

Cook the eggplants over charcoal or under a broiler until the skin blackens and blisters. I then put them in a colander facing down to allow them to drain the bitter juice...about 30 minutes. Peel or scoop out the guts.

Crush the garlic cloves with salt. Mash the eggplants with a fork or potato masher, add the garlic and a little more salt....pound to a smooth, creamy puree. I actually use the food processor. Add the tahini and lemon juice alternately blending using the pulse feature. Add the olive oil. Mix. Garnish with parsley, black olives and tomatoes.

This is (sigh) wonderful!

The Purple Puddled Princess
(8/9/01)

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Baba Ganoush and Hummus

Baba Ganoush

Broil a couple eggplants until they're really black. When they're cool, puree the pulp in a food processor with about a couple tbsp. of tahina (sesame paste), a couple peeled garlic cloves (or less), some lemon juice, and salt.

Hummus

Do the same with a couple cups of cooked chickpeas but up the tahina to about a 1/4 of a cup and enough chickpea liquid to make a paste.

Avital
(8/8/01)

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Eggplant Spread

Eggplant Spread
My family is Romanian, too - on my father's side. Here's the recipe for what we always called

1 medium eggplant
3 tbsp. minced onion
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sugar

Bake the eggplant in a 475° F oven until the skin turns dark and brown. Cool and peel.

Chop the eggplant until very smooth. (I suppose you could use a food processor, but I've always used that wooden bowl and half-moon chopper). Add everything else. Chill.

Serve with black bread - much better than crackers.

Barbara on Staten Island, NY
(2/5/2001)

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Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili

Olive oil
5 decent sized onions
a lot of garlic, you decide how much.
1 tbsp cumin
   I prefer to use whole cumin, toast it in a dry skillet, and grind it in a mortar and pestle,
   but you may not be as anal as this. It is a step worth taking, imho)
a pinch of cinnamon, just a pinch
2 tsp. oregano
2 - 4 chipotle chiles (the kind canned in adobo sauce, see note below)
one eggplant, peeled and cut into 1" dice
1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped
4 bell peppers, red and/or green, diced
one cup diced carrots
3/4 cup unsalted cashews
   (if you can only get salted ones, rinse them off before using)
1 lb of black beans dried, or three 15 oz cans of same
   (you can use red kidney or pinto, or all three, doesn't really matter)
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes in puree
1 bottle beer (need not be fancy beer, but don't use yak piss either)
handful of chopped cilantro

(If you are using dried beans, the night before soak them in cold water. Then drain, refresh water, and simmer them for 90 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside. If using canned beans, just dump them into a colander and thoroughly rinse the slimy stuff off of them before putting them into the chili when the recipe directs you to.)

Peel and chop onions and garlic. Sauté in olive oil till onions begin to become translucent. Add spices, including chiles. Add eggplant and mushrooms. Sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add carrots and sauté for a few more minutes. Add tomato, beer and cashews, cover, lower heat and simmer for 30 - 45 minutes.

Add peppers and beans. Simmer until beans are heated thru and pepper is soft but not mush. (10 minutes is fine). Add vinegar, cilantro, and correct for salt and pepper.

Serve over rice, passing cheddar, guacamole (mash up some Haas avocado with minced garlic, lime, green chili and salt), or salsa, or all of the above!

This recipe is legendary in my family, and I make it every year at our holiday Christmas party, as most of DH's family are vegetarian. Even meat eaters like it. Leftovers are good filling for burritos, or you can make tamale pie out of it.

About chipotles: These are generally available canned, in adobo sauce (a concentrated spicy puree) in hispanic markets. They taste like smoked jalapenos, which in fact, is what they are. They are worth seeking out because they lend a wonderful smokiness to this meatless dish. One pepper will make a mild chili, three will be fairly hot. I like to use two, and a spoonful of the sauce. (Leftover chiles freeze well). If you can't get them, use regular jalapenos.

Carolyn D.
(1/24/00)

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