MrsJimmyP: Spicy Eggplant & Tomato Salad

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

I do not use near as much cilantro as the recipe calls for just a few leaves is all. If you like salsa from Mexican restaurants I imagine you will like this although it is not nearly as hot. In case you do not know Cumin is a spice used in like making Chili and alot of mexican dishes it is not hot, and is used quite a bit in Moroccan cooking.

I found this to be more on the order of a salsa rather than the salads we are accustomed to, but extremely delicious and full of flavor, I love eggplant so it was perfect for an eggplant lover! If you do not like hot & spicy use less Harissa Paste and it will give the flavor with-out so much heat.

2 Lg. Eggplants
4 Lg. Tomatoes (skinned and chopped to a pulp)
6 1/2 tbsp. Olive Oil
2 - 3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. Moroccan Harissa Paste -***I will list the recipe for this***
a small bunch of flat leaf parsley (finely chopped)
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. freshly roasted cumin seeds, roasted and ground (I use my ground cumin I already have on hand)
bread, to serve

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the eggplant on a baking sheet and bake for 30 about min's. or until soft when you press them with a finger. Put the tomatoes in an oven proof dish, pour over 1/2 the olive oil and pop them in the oven with the eggplants. Remove the eggplants and tomatoes and let cool until cool enough to handle. Using a sharp cut the eggplants in half and scoop out the pulp and chop it to a pulp.

Heat the rest of the olive oil in a heavy-based skillet, add the garlic and saute until it begins to color, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes and Harissa and cook over a med. heat for 5 - 8 minutes, until thick and pulpy. Add the eggplants, parsley, and cilantro. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Tip into a serving bowl and serve warm or at room temperature with a dusting of roasted cumin and chunks of bread.

****Harissa Paste****

8 Dried red chiles (Horn or New Mexico deseeded)
2-3 garlic cloves finely chopped
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground corriander
1/4 cup olive oil

Makes roughly 4 tbsp. ****(a little goes a long way)****

Place chiles in a bowl and cover with warm water, let soak for 1 hour. Drain & squeeze out excess water. Using a mortar and pestle, pound them to a paste with the garlic and salt (or whizz them in an electric mixer). Beat in the cumin and corriander and bind with the olive oil.

Store the Harrisa Paste in a sealed jar in the refergerator with a thin layer of olive oil poured on top. Keeps well for approx. 1 month.

Recipe From: Flavors of Morocco cookbook

[mrsjimmyp]

Thanks Cathy
This sounds yummy. I have used cumin a few times.I don't eat a lot of hot spices since I have acid reflux....have to be careful with that.
Oh....by the way....call me Francie...thats my name .

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Sure thing Francie, and that is a beautiful name and you do not hear it often, lucky you!

I made this recipe this morning before going to work, and I only used 1 tsp of the Harissa and it was not hot at all, very tasty both cold and hot. I don't think you would need the harissa at all if you'd rather try it that way. But you know what you can tolerate, not I.

[mrsjimmyp]

I'm going to try this one today Cathy....I'll let you know how it turns out.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Good deal, I hope you will love it Francie!!! If not, well at least you tried! I had some last night with some Cuban Empanadas I made, used it as a salsa on the side of each bite of Empanada I took and YUMMY that was that a tasty combo!

[mrsjimmyp]

Well...did not get to make it today...could not find some of the ingredients in the local supermarket. Hopefully soon though.