nutritious

Our family loves eggplant! I was raised by a mom who is not a big fan, but after falling in love and marrying a Mediterranean man, I quickly discovered its creamy deliciousness! Caponata is an easy and tasty way to get even picky eaters to give it a try! I must admit though, my Caponata is a hybrid mixing the traditional Sicilian flavors with some of my favorite Turkish flavors and my own Southern Girl twist! Enjoy!

Eggplant Caponata

Ingredients
4 medium size eggplants
1/2 of a spanish onion
1 tomato
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of chopped olives
1 cup of shiitake mushrooms (I told you it was nontraditional!)
1/4 cup freshly minced dill
1/4 cup freshly minced flat leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon of cumin
1/3 cup of Olive Oil
2 tablespoons of Turkish or Mediterranean style tomato paste (trust me, there is a big taste difference between these and the American version!)
1/3 cup of dry white wine
1/4 cup of beef stock (low sodium)
1/4 cup of chicken stock (low sodium)
1 cup of water
salt & pepper to taste

Peel and chop the eggplant (I peel it around per quarter to leave a little skin on all sides), onion, tomato, olives, mushrooms and mince the garlic, dill and parsley. In a deep pot, saute the onions in a tablespoons of olive oil for about a minute, then add the garlic and saute for another minute. Then, I literally throw everything else in together, bring it up to a simmer and keep on low heat covered for about an hour, stirring occasionally. That’s IT! So easy and so yummy!! I usually serve this with rice and plain yogurt.

The Turkish cuisine has so many fresh, healthy summertime dishes and there’s nothing like chilled green beans in olive oil (Zeytinyağlı Taze Fasulye) to remind me of the warm breezes of the Mediterranean. This dish is so incredibly easy to make ahead and nibble on throughout the week! It’s the perfect side dish or can shine as the star of the meal.

Green Beans in Olive Oil (Zeytinagli Taze Fasulye)

Ingredients:
1 pound of green beans
1 tomato
1 clove of garlic
4 green onions
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup of water
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare your green beans by trimming their tips. Finely chop the green onions (tender green tops included) and toss them into your pot with half of the olive oil and some salt and pepper for two minutes. Add the finely minced garlic to the pot and saute for another minute. Add the finely diced tomato to your pot and let it simmer for another 2 minutes. Finally add the green beans, the rest of the olive oil, a touch more salt and pepper and the water to the pot and stir. Turn the flame down to medium low, cover and go have a glass of wine! It should take about 20 minutes to cook. Don’t stir too often, but a couple of times throughout is fine. This dish best served chilled and is really yummy with Cold Cucumber and Yogurt Soup (Cacık)! A great way to stay cool in the summer!