Menu for the plant-based palate - recipes

Vegetarian Times, Oct, 2003 by Marie Oser

The Greek and Italian words for eggplant--melanzane and melitzanes--come from "mad apple," suggesting what people used to think would happen to you if you ate one. A member of the nightshade family, eggplant--which is really a fruit--won't make you crazy. And it isn't poisonous--another myth that took years to overcome.

This month's menu features Ratatouille Stuffed Eggplant, which makes a very attractive presentation, and rightly so. No one has ever disputed eggplant's visual appeal, and now the fruit is everywhere--in part because there are so many ways to prepare it. But when frying, be stingy with the fat because the porous flesh can absorb lots of oil--unless the eggplant is very fresh, has been soaked in salt water or rubbed with salt, or the oil is very hot. Eggplant tends to be bitter unless the flesh is salted and drained for at least 10 minutes in a colander. To help the process, apply gentle pressure by placing a dinner plate over the eggplant.

Ratatouille is a country French standard closely resembling a ragout. To make Ratatouille Stuffed Eggplant, begin by baking the "mad apples" in a moderately hot oven, with a quick finish under the broiler. This treatment gives the eggplants a rich and smoky flavor. The softened flesh becomes an essential part of the ratatouille, which is then stuffed into the eggplant shells and returned to the oven.

Sauced Fennel and Sweet Beans with Wild Rice is a delicious dish rich in fiber, soy protein and calcium. Aromatic fennel is a fabulous, multipurpose vegetable with a mild licorice flavor that is more pronounced when raw, and it tends to dissipate with longer cooking. Sliced fennel is combined with shelled edamame--also called "sweet beans"--yellow bell pepper and a light brown sauce to create a vegetable medley that has great texture and eye appeal. This tops wild rice, which is not rice at all but a highly nutritious grain from an aquatic grass seed native to North America.

Serve Gingered Apple-Berry Cobbler for dessert. In a delightful twist on a homey favorite, this cobbler with a filling of tart apples, strawberries and dried cranberries is topped with spicy gingerbread studded with toasted hazelnuts. Strawberries are a nice surprise in October, and the frozen strawberries add flavor and color to the filling.

Ratatouille Stuffed Eggplant

SERVES 8

This is a dish with a rich blend of satisfying flavors. To peel fresh tomatoes, make a shallow X-shaped cut at the stem end of each tomato. Bring a quart of water to a boil in a saucepan, add tomatoes and blanch for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water. The skins will slide off easily.

4 medium-sized eggplants, halved lengthwise 1 Tbs. olive oil 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 large red onion, chopped 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper 3 medium-sized zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-long slices 1 6-oz. pkg. sliced button mushrooms Juice of 1 lemon 4 large plum tomatoes, peeled 1/2 cup tomato paste 1/2 cup dry sherry 4 Tbs. vegan Parmesan cheese 2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage leaves 3 Tbs. chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 Tbs. dried thyme

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Place eggplant halves face down on prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes, or until flesh is soft. Increase oven temperature to broil.

3. Spray cut sides with added oil, place face side up on pan and broil 3 minutes, or until browned. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375F.

4. Scoop flesh from cooled eggplants into colander, sprinkle with salt and set aside. Sprinkle insides of eggplant shells with salt, and place them cut side down in separate colander to drain.

5. Heat oil and crushed pepper in large skillet or 5-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, 1 minute. Add garlic, onion and bell pepper, and saute 3 minutes. Add zucchini and mushrooms, and cook mixture 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add drained and rinsed eggplant flesh and lemon juice, and reduce heat to medium. Dice tomatoes, and add tomato paste, sherry, 3 Tbs. Parmesan cheese, sage, parsley and thyme. Reduce heat to low, and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

6. Rinse drained eggplant shells with cold water, and place face side up on baking pan. Divide Ratatouille among shells, and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cheese. Cover shells with foil.

7. Bake filled shells at 375F for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and serve.

PER SERVING: 151 CAL; 7G PROT; 3G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 27G CARB; 0MG CHOL; 208MG SOD; 9G FIBER; 12G SUGARS

Sauced Fennel and Sweet Beans with Wild Rice

SERVES 8

This tasty dish offers a delightful balance of flavor and texture.

1 16-oz. pkg. frozen shelled edamame 1 cup wild rice, rinsed 3 1/2 cups water 2 Tbs. onion soup mix 1 1/2 tsp. olive oil 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 large leek, rinsed and thinly sliced 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced lengthwise into 3-inch-wide strips 2 medium-sized fennel bulbs, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced 3 cups vegetable or "chicken"-flavored vegetarian stock 2 Tbs. flat-leaf parsley 2 tsp. dried marjoram 1/4 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning 2 Tbs. cornstarch 3 Tbs. cold water 1 Tbs. tamari soy sauce