Creole Aubergines

Hello!

Now, before I give you today's recipe, I must state that I actually looked up the definition of creole, don't laugh at me! Every day is a school day, some say *smiles*

So:
ˈkriːəʊl/

1. A person of mixed European and black descent, especially in the Caribbean.
2. A descendant of Spanish or other European settlers in the Caribbean or Central or South America.

There you have it! I found this lovely recipe in my funky Caribbean recipe book by Mr. Roots no less... I decided to take on - the aubergine, because it isn't my favourite vegetable and have to be either grilled to mush or cooked until nice and tender for me to like it. And you know what? This here dish is really lovely! Just remember to soften the aubergines before the other ingredients go in, et voila!

Creole Aubergines
(Serves 2, or 4 as a side)

2 tbsp oil
1 large aubergine, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red or green (or half of both) bell pepper, chopped
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp whole pepper corns (or 1/3 tsp black ground pepper)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
400ml chopped tomatoes in sauce
1/2 cup water

Rice, crusty bread, yogurt, creme fraiche or sour cream to serve
You can also garnish the dish with some coriander or parsley leaves if you have them at hand!

- In a medium casserole, heat up the oil on medium high heat - toss the aubergine in and stir occasionally. Let it soften for 5/10 minutes and add more oil if necessary.

- Now, add the garlic, onion and pepper and soften for another 5 minutes, then sprinkle over the salt, pepper, sugar, cumin and smoked paprika. Stir for a minute before tipping in the tomatoes.

- Use the container for the tomatoes, and pour in the water, making sure you get the rest of it out, and pour it into the pan - simples!

- Turn down to a simmer and let it bubble away for 10-15 minutes until all the flavours have meddled together.

I hope you enjoy this nice and light dish as much as I did, and if you want to add protein to it, I am sure both chickpeas and chopped mushrooms would work great in this casserole!

Last night, I had three lovely ladies over for a little cheap and cheerful mezze, and it was a lot of fun! Lots of pitabread, cheeses, olives, hummous (so much hummous! *smiles*), fruits, sundried tomatoes and other antipasti. It doesn't take much preparation to have yourself a spread of epic proportions. Oh! And I also made some Pineapple Water that I added some frozen berries and a few drops of stevia in, and it worked a treat! It's good to make the most out of the fruit, and the pineapple water is easy to mix with other juices if you for example want to make spritzers, or just drink eu natural perhaps with a bit of sugar and a squeeze of lime?

Today, I might be going to this hip hop night in town (random, I know, but it sounds like so much fun!). How has your weekend been so far? All good I hope! *hugs*


Original Source:
Spice it Up! p. 107

- Jules