My version of caponata is pretty simple. I use a large serrated bread knife to peel a large eggplant and dice it into 1/3 to 1/2 inch dices.
Dice a red bell pepper and one onion.
Chop 5 cloves of garlic into tiny pieces.
Place into a large pot or deep pan. I use a 6 quart oval pasta pot. Then I coat with olive oil, and mix it all up.
Saute, then simmer covered for about 15 minutes. Then add 1 small can of tomato paste and some red pepper flakes. Stir and then simmer covered for about 15 minutes.
You can add olives and/or capers, or use a red onion instead of a yellow one. Celery or celery seed is good, too.
I love to eat this by itself, but it's nice with cooked chicken or pasta or mixed into a salad. This is a bit chunky for crackers. If you want a spread for crackers, chop everything finer. Enjoy!
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Cornbread Using Spelt Flour & Cornmeal Made from Popcorn + Pineapple
I decided to try spelt flour instead of all purpose wheat flour for quick cornbread.
"Spelt, an ancient cereal grain, is a distant cousin to wheat. It has a nutty, slightly sweet flavor." source
The
recipe I concocted turned out great, much to my surprise. I ground up
unpopped popcorn in my Vitamix using the grain blade. This is a hearty
cornbread, easy to eat and really delicious. I'm used to using more oil
in cornbread, but it's not needed at all. I love the texture of this treat.
Dry Ingredients:
11/4 cup spelt flour (Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 cup cornmeal (from popcorn)
1/4 cup white sugar
2 Tb brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
Wet Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk (from powder)
1 egg + 3 Tb egg whites
2 Tb coconut oil
Addition: 1 cup frozen pineapple tidbits
Mix both sets of ingredients, then add dry to wet, mix well, then add pineapple. Mix well, but don't over mix.
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, til golden brown in 8 x 8 inch nonstick pan that has been brushed with some oil. Knife should come out clean.
