PEERtrainer Recipes

Eggplant Dip – the Perfect Appetizer

Eggplant Dip, sometimes called Baba Ganouche, has a great texture with a tangy, lemony, seasoned taste that is mellowed with pita bread.  This recipe is taken from the book The Healthy Kitchen by Andrew Weil, M.D. and Rosie Daley who is the author of the bestselling cookbook, In the Kitchen with Rosie.  She was Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef and her cookbook has become a classic.

 

Ingredients:

1 eggplant (1 ½ pounds)

½ medium onion, grated or finely chopped

2 Tablespoons capers

3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ Cup olive oil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt or to taste

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

4 pitas

1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 

Set the eggplant on a baking pan or dish and pierce it a few times with a knife.  Bake it until it becomes soft, about 30 minutes; it should pierce easily with a fork.  Remove it from the oven and let cool.  When completely cooled, peel the skin off and put the flesh into a blender or food processor.  Add the onions, capers, and lemon juice.  Turn on the machine, and then gradually add the olive oil.  Continue to blend until the eggplant is smooth and creamy.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in the oregano, salt, pepper, and vinegar.

 

Warm the pitas briefly on a baking sheet then cut each of them into 8 wedges.  Arrange them on a plate or platter.  Just before serving, stir the tomato and parsley into the dip.  Makes 32 (4 wedges per person).

Serves 8

 

Calories per serving =  169.3

Fat = 7.36 grams 

Protein = 3.8 grams

Carbohydrate = 23.1 grams

Cholesterol = 0 mg

Fiber = 2.7 grams

 

-Emily

Authentic Indian Rice – Fruity Pullao

Fruity Pullao

Serves 4 to 6

 

This is an authentic and delicious Indian rice dish that is special enough for any dinner you plan for company.

 

Ingredients

2 1/3 Cups Basmati rice

6 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 T corn (or olive) oil

1 bay leaf

6 black peppercorns

4 green cardamom pods

1 tsp salt

½ Cup sultanas (golden raisins)

½ Cup slivered almonds

4 Cups water

 

Wash the rice twice and drain in a strainer.

 

Heat the Butter and oil in a medium saucepan.  Lower the heat and throw in the bay leaf, peppercorn and cardamom and fry for about 30 seconds.

 

Add the rice, salt, raisins, slivered almonds, and stir fry for 1 minute.  Then pour in the water.  Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let the rice stand still covered for 5 minutes before serving.

 

This recipe and more are featured in the fabulous cookbook The Indian Recipe Book: Over 200 Deliciously Authentic Dishes by Shehzad Husain

 

NOTE:  I make this dish all the time for my husband and I cut down the rice to 1 Cup of brown rice (no white rice at all) and it’s wonderful.  I cut the fat down to ½ T butter and ½ T olive oil, and halve the rest of the ingredients.  The water is also cut down to 2 ¼ Cups.