Eating Well
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
3 cups hot water
2 large eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds each)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 large onions, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1 small (1-inch) cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup dried chickpeas, rinsed and soaked overnight and drained
1 28-ounce can tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
*Look for Italian San Marzano tomatoes-they are particularly rich in flavor and taste best in this dish
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1. Preheat oven to 400'.
2. Combine dried mushrooms and hot water in a bowl. Stir well and let stand for 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve lined with a paper towel and set the liquid aside. Finely chop the mushrooms.
3. Meanwhile, peel eggplants, if desired, and cut in half lengthwise. Brush the cut sides liberally with 2 tablespoons oil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, cut-side down and roast until tender, about 25 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut into 1-inch cubes and transfer to a 4-quart or larger) slow cooker.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, cinnamon stick, salt, pepper, bay leaf and the chopped mushrooms; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the reserved mushroom soaking liquid and chickpeas. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the eggplant.
5. Cover and cook until the chickpeas are very tender, about 4 hours on High or 7 to 8 hours on Low. Remove cinnamon stick and bay left. Stir in tomatoes and parsley.
*I sprayed the eggplant with PAM instead of coating it with olive oil. I also cooked this in a pan as I did not have enough time to put it in a crockpot. I simmered the chickpeas for about 2 hours then added the eggplant and let it cook until done. Could use more spicing up, maybe some Mediterranean olives, but it is pretty good. You can save 3 cups of this to use in EGGPLANT & CHICKPEA BAKED PASTA.
Serves: 8 1-1/4 cups
Nutrition:
219 calories
7g fat (1g sat, 4g mono)
0mg cholesterol
33 g carbohydrate
0g sugar
9g protein
12g fiber
413mg sodium
766mg potassium
