Sweet-and-Sour Eggplant with Crostini

[Guest guest]

Reggie, This sounds a lot like the Chino Caponato you posted and we love.

This variation is served as an appetizer. I'd be tempted to serve it as a

side dish.

 

 

* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Sweet-and-Sour Eggplant with Crostini

 

Recipe By :Pizzeria Evan Kleiman

Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : ** ELF & MCR ** VegRecipes

Eggplant

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 eggplant -- unpeeled, 1/2 " dice

salt

2 zucchini -- cut in 1/2 " dice

1 small Spanish onion -- cut into 1/2 " dice

1 celery heart -- trimmed and cut

crosswise into slices 1/2 inch thick

1 cup Tomato-Basil sauce

1 cup small green olives -- pitted

2 cloves garlic -- minced

2 tablespoons capers -- rinsed and drained

1/4 cup sugar -- (1/4 to 1/2)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar -- (1/4 to 1/2)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Crostini

1 small -- slender baguette,

cut on the diagonal into slices 1/4 inch

(6 mm) thick

 

Kristin Notes: Nurtritional Analysis reflects these changes: Instead of

American Eggplant and all that oil use Japanese or Chinese eggplants (the

long slender ones). Dice (no need to salt, etc), place on a baking sheet

lined with foil and sprayed with Pam. Spray the eggplant with Pam and roast

in a 450 - 500 oven until cooked. For the Tomato-Basil sauce use tomato

sauce with some fresh basil added. Saute everything in a nonstick pan using

Pam. Do not use olive oil. For the crostini use a baguette that has been

sliced, sprayed with olive oil Pam and toasted in the oven. The amount of

celery heart was not specified. I'd probably dice up a couple stalks.

 

 

In a colander, toss the diced eggplant with a generous amount of salt. Place

the colander in a sink or over another bowl and let drain for 1 hour. Rinse

the eggplant with cold running water to remove the salt and bitter juices,

then pat dry with paper towels or roll up in a kitchen towel.

 

In a small frying pan over medium-high heat, pour in olive oil to a depth of

1/2 inch (12 mm). When hot but not smoking, add the eggplant in several

batches; do not crowd the pan. Fry, stirring occasionally, until tender and

golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant to a

double thickness of paper towels to drain. Fry the zucchini in the same pan

in the same manner, adding more oil as needed to measure 1/2 inch (12 mm)

deep; transfer the zucchini to paper towels to drain. In a nonaluminum bowl,

combine the eggplant and zucchini and set aside.

 

 

In a frying pan over medium heat, warm the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the

onion and celery and sauté until tender, 5-7 minutes. Add the tomato-basil

sauce, olives, garlic and capers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the

sauce thickens slightly, 5-8 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup (2 oz/60 g) sugar and

1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) vinegar and simmer, stirring constantly, until the

sugar dissolves completely. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Taste and add

more sugar and vinegar as necessary to achieve a good sweet-sour balance. Add

the sauce mixture to the eggplant and zucchini and toss together gently.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or for up to 3 days before

serving.

 

 

When ready to serve, bring the eggplant mixture to room temperature. To make

the crostini, preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the baguette slices in

a large bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Toss the slices until the

oil is evenly distributed (they should be slightly moistened, not coated).

Lay the slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake, turning once,

until lightly golden and crisp, 5-7 minutes. Watch carefully, as they burn

easily.

 

 

Spoon the eggplant mixture onto individual plates or a platter and surround

with the warm crostini.

 

 

Serves 10-12

 

Source:

" http://www.cooking.com/recipes/rerecite_print.asp?No=86 & Image=False "

S(Formatted by Whome40 Apr 2000):

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Per serving: 57 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (19% calories from fat); 1g

Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 240mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat;

1/2 Other Carbohydrates

 

NOTES : This is the queen of the Italian tradition of agrodolce, or

sweet-and-sour dishes. Commonly served as an antipasto, the savory

combination of eggplant, zucchini and red onion with the mild, pale yellow

innermost stalks of a celery bunch is set off by the piquant flavors of

capers and green olives.

 

 

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 2516 0 1506 0 0 0 0 0 0 593 0 0 0