Saturday, March 7, 2009

Smoky Eggplant Puree with Crostini

Here's another option for a nosh before a night out on the town. This one is easy to make ahead in the afternoon!

Cut a one-pound eggplant in half length-wise and place, cut-sides down, on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and coated with cooking spray. Lightly spray the tops of the eggplant with cooking spray.

Broil for 30 minutes - doing so for this long ensures that the skins will char and impart a nice smoky flavor. Let cool slightly before scooping out the pulp with a spoon. Discard the skins.

Place the pulp in a food processor along with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper; puree until smooth and set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped onion and one minced garlic clove; cook for 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onion should just be browned.

Remove from heat and stir in the eggplant puree, 1/2 cup chopped and seeded plum tomato and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley. Stir to combine, and transfer to a bowl; cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

When it's time to serve, toast 18 (1/4-inch thick) slices of baguette. (Note: broiling them for a minute on each side works well, if you don't have a grill pan or the like). 3 tablespoons of puree plus 3 baguette slices makes an appetizer of about 110 calories.

Cost:
eggplant $2.37
onion $0.51
plum tomato $0.47
parsley $1.69
baguette $1.29

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The Vegan Pantry

  • Vegan yogurt - Whole Soy http://www.wholesoyco.com/
  • Vegan milk - Silk http://www.silksoymilk.com/
  • Vegan Feta - Sunergia http://www.sunergiasoyfoods.com/
  • Vegan Cheese - Galaxy Foods http://www.galaxyfoods.com/
  • Vegan Eggs - Ener-G http://www.ener-g.com/
  • Vegan Butter - Earth Balance http://www.earthbalance.net/product.html