My new favorite part of the New York Times is Martha Rose Shulman’s weekly recipe column, Recipes for Health. Every week she posts delicious, easy and tasty recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients and every week I am drawn in once again.
A few weeks ago she posted a recipe for eggplant and chickpeas that made my mouth water, and finally, last night, I had time and the ingredients to make it.
Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables, and roasted until it is velvety and then paired with chickpeas, tomatoes and pomegranate molasses
it turns absolutely spectacular. Now, don’t worry, pomegranate molasses is available all over the place these days, by mail order, at Whole Foods, or at your local ethnic grocer. And it’s an ingredient worth having. Just try it with eggplant and see!
I, of course, made a few changes to the original recipe, so here’s the version I used.
Eggplant with chickpeas and tomatoes
1 large eggplant (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise then cut in 1/2-inch slices
Salt to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, as needed
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 large can fire roasted crushed tomatoes (I used Muir Glen)
3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 large can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, mint and basil
Serves 4-6 as a side dish
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with foil and brush it with olive oil. Place the eggplant slices on the foil, salt them lightly and brush them with olive oil.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the eggplant is lightly browned and feels soft and dry to the touch.
Remove from the oven, and fold over the foil to make a packet around the eggplant slices. Allow them to soften and steam inside the foil while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy casserole or skillet.
Add the garlic. Cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the canned and chopped tomatoes, salt to taste, sugar, pepper and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer, and simmer uncovered over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell very fragrant.
Add the eggplant, molasses and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for another 20 minutes, stirring from time to time. The mixture should be thick and the eggplant should be very tender, melting into the mixture.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle on the chopped parsley, mint and basil and serve, hot, warm or at room temperature.
knitting a life 