Muhammara & Middle Eastern Eggplant Salad

At the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival we took a few classes, our favorite of which was A Taste of the Middle East taught by Chef Billy Strynkowski from Cooking Light Magazine. We tasted Lamb Kofta with Harissa Yogurt Sauce, Chicken and Feta Tabbouleh, and some delicious vegetarian starter/sides.

Chef Billy was quite emphatic that three must-haves for the pantry are za'atar, aleppo pepper, and sumac. None of these ingredients were written into the recipes we were given, but he added it to the food we tasted, and I've added it into these recipes of the vegetarian dishes for you.


MUHAMMARA

3 red bell peppers**

1/4 cup toasted walnut halves

1/4 cup plain, dry breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (aleppo pepper, if you've got it)

sumac and za'atar to taste


1. Preheat Broiler

2. Cut peppers in half lengthwise, discarding seeds and membranes. Place them, skin sides up, on a baking sheet and flatten with your hand. Broil 20 minutes or until blackened.

3. Seal in a ziplock. Let them stand 20 minutes, then peel peppers and discard skins.

4. Place 4 pepper halves, 3 tablespoons of walnuts, and other ingredients EXCEPT lime juice into a food processor and blend until smooth.

5. Add remaining pepper halves and pulse unti coarsely chopped.

6. Spoon dip into bowl and stir in juice. Top with the remaining walnuts.

7. Serve with carrots, radishes, bread, meat, or pretty much anything. It was delicious.


EGGPLANT SALAD

2 medium red bell peppers**

1 medium tomato, peeled and seeded

3 tablespoons of no-salt-added tomato paste

2 tablespoons of water

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

Dash of ground red pepper (aleppo is preferable)

1 thinly sliced garlic clove

1/4 cup olive oil

1 pound eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 or 2 tablespoons of chopped green onions

sumac to taste


1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cut peppers in half lengthwise, discarding seeds and membrane. Place them, skin sides up, on a baking sheet and flatten with your hand. Broil 12 minutes or until blackened.

3. Seal in a ziplock. Let them stand 10 minutes, then peel peppers and chop.

4. Place tomato in blender and process until smooth. Add tomato paste, water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, sugar, garlic, and aleppo pepper. Blend until smooth.

5. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. (The higher the heat, the more oil you'll need, and eggplant is like an oil sponge). Add the eggplant and cook for at least 30 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender. Stir frequently.

6. Once eggplant is tender, add the bell pepper and tomato mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, and stir in the remaining salt, pepper, and green onions.

7. For more interesting texture, blend half of the mixture in a blender or food processor, then mix back in with the chunky half. (optional)

8. Serve as a side alongside grilled or roasted meats, or as a dip with crackers or flatbread.

Enjoy!!

** If you are feeling lazy or need to save time, you can buy a jar of high-quality roasted peppers, use the appropriate amount, and skip to step 4.