Eggplant a/k/a Aubergine

The humble eggplant is known by many names, all over the world. Aubergine, melongene, brinjal, or guinea squash (Solanum melongena) is a plant of the nightshade family,  genus Solanum.Fruits are called by the same name as the plant. Most but not all are used used in cooking but there are several that are strictly ornamental as they are too bitter to eat. The fruit is classified as a berry, and contains numerous small, soft seeds, which are edible, but are bitter because they contain nicotinoid alkaloids which is not surprising because eggplant is a close relative of tobacco, as well as the tomato and potato, all members of the nightshare family. Eggplant is native to Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

It is a delicate perennial often cultivated as an annual. Eggplant thrives in hot weather and is a good plant for the South.  It requires a good bit of water when the plants are growing but can tolerate drought conditions better than many summer vegetable plants.  The plant itself can grow 16 to 60 inches tall, with large broad, coarsely lobed leaves, 4-8 inches long snd up to 4 inches across.The semi-wild types can grow much larger, up to 7 feet tall with leaves over a foot tall and 6 inches across. The stem is usually spiny, the leaves covered in tiny coarse "hairs".  The flowers are white to purple and pendant. The fruits are protected by hard, sharp spines around the calyx and are fleshy, with a meaty texture. Different varieties of the plant produce fruit of different size, shape and color, though typically purple, even orange or red eggplant exist.

The most widely cultivated varieties  in Europe and North America today are elongated ovoid, with a deep purple, almost black skin.  Most of these are considered Italian type eggplant. A much wider range of shapes, sizes and colors is grown in India and elsewhere in Asia. Larger varieties weighing up to 2 pounds are grown in China, although most Chinese varieties are much smaller. Thailand also producer a wide array of eggplant with colors that vary from white to yellow or green as well as reddish-purple and dark purple. Some cultivars have a color gradient, from white at the stem to bright pink to deep purple or even black. Green or purple cultivars in white striping also exist.

Many of the Asian varieties are commonly shaped like a narrower, slightly pendulous cucumber, although there are some that are small and round and the size of a pea, some that are round and the size of a golf ball and some that grow about 2-3 inches long and are torpedo shaped.  It is possible to grow many heirloom varieties of eggplant, in your home garden, from many regions of the world. Because it is such a popular vegetable in many cultures, seeds are relatively easy to find.


Cooking with Eggplant
The raw fruit can have a somewhat bitter taste, but becomes tender when cooked and develops a rich, complex flavor. Salting and then rinsing the sliced fruit (known as "degorging") can soften and remove much of the bitterness though this is often unnecessary. Some modern varieties do not need this treatment, as they are far less bitter. The fruit is capable of absorbing large amounts of cooking fats and sauces, allowing for very rich dishes, but the salting process will reduce the amount of oil absorbed. The fruit flesh is smooth; as in the related tomato, the numerous seeds are soft and edible along with the rest of the fruit. The thin skin is also edible, so peeling is not required.

Many well known and traditional dishes, from cultures all over the world, use eggplant as their basis.  In France, there is ratatouille, in Greece, moussaka. Eggplant parmesean is  offered in most Italian restaurants and baba ganoush is a Middle Eastern staple.  It is a very important vegetable in Asian cuisine, especially curries.

Nutrition in Eggplant
Nutritionally speaking, studies have shown that eggplant may be effective in the treatment of high blood cholesterol. It helps to block the formation of free radicals and is also a source of folic acid and potassium.
Eggplant is richer in nicotine than any other edible plant, but that is not really a cause for concern. The amount of nicotine from eggplant or any other food plant is miniscule because, on average, 20 lbs. of eggplant contains about the same amount of nicotine as a cigarette. I dont' know too many people who would consume 20 lbs. of eggplant at one sitting. This negligible amount of nicotine which would not affect the average person. Occasionally, as with any food, people have exhibited an allergic reaction to eating eggplant.
Nutritional information for Eggplant

Pan Fried Pork Chops with Savory Tomato Gravy

Just reading this recipe's title may give you pause, but I can assure you it is wonderful. It is also novice cook simple, requires nothing you probably don't regularly have in your kitchen. I grew up on this recipe and so I imagine that it was originally in Woman's Day or on the back of a soup can. My grandmother, Southern Cook Extraordinaire, probably “doctored” it up, then my mom worked her magic on it and then when it came down to me, I added my own spin. It has always been one of my eldest son's favorite meals and I recently went over to his house so I could show him and my daughter-in-law how to make it. Since it is fresh in my head, I am gonna share it here. And FYI, this recipe does not belong in my Healthy Eating Hall of Fame. It is comfort food, plain and simple...literally.

Ingredients:

Pork Chops with Savory Gravy

4-6 Pork chops, (bone in and fat still on....using lean pork loin will result in an inferior version. This is a good thing, however because those chops are generally considerably less expensive.)

1 can Campbell's Tomato Soup

1 large bell pepper, sliced into thin rings

1 medium sweet onion, also sliced into thin rings

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (you can use more, less or none at all....but fair warning....don't over do it..garlic is a nice addition to the dish but you don't want it to overwhelm the flavor of the peppers, which it will do if you use too much)

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Put a drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of salt and a quick grind of black pepper in the bottom of a large pan frying pan. Brown the chops, letting them get a little crispy brown around the edges but don't let them burn. It takes about 10-12 minutes, turning once or twice and cooking over medium heat to achieve this. Salt and pepper them a little more, as they cook. 

Once the chops are browned, remove them from the pan and add the onions and the garlic (there should be some drippings in the pan from the chops) and saute until the onion start to become limp. Deglaze the pan with a couple of tablespoons of water, stirring well.  Add the green peppers and cook for just a couple more minutes.  Add tomato soup and half a can of water. Stir until the peppers and onions are coated. If it seems a little too thick, you can add a little more water but you don't want it to get “runny”...remember that thick is good here. Lay the chops on top of the pepper/onion/tomato soup and lower the heat. Cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes, turning the chops over at least once. You want them to sink down into the liquid so that they are mostly covered in the sauce, but do that after they have cooked a while, not at the beginning.

While the chops are simmering, you can prepare the special mashed potatoes that makes this dish unique.

To serve: 

Place the chops and the gravy in the same serving vessel. Use the gravy like you would any other.

Miracle Mashed Potatoes*

Ingredients:

5-6 large potatoes, peeled, cubed and cooked (this is not a good recipe to leave the skins on)

½ stick of butter or margarine (that is about ¼ cup if you don't have sticks)

Milk

Salt and pepper

Miracle Whip Salad Dressing*

Cook the potatoes in a salted water, until they are soft enough to mash. Drain off any excess water and add the butter and just a splash of milk before you start to mash them. You can add more milk if they seem too dry but do not add more butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Once you have the potatoes mashed to the consistency you want, add 1/2 cup of Miracle Whip and stir well to incorporate into the potatoes. Keep warm until ready to serve. *You can use regular mayo if you don't have Miracle Whip. 

(By the way, if you don't make mashed potatoes often, here are a couple of tips. If you do not have a potato masher, you can use a big fork. I like to use my potato masher so that the potatoes are slightly lumpy but my mom always used the electric hand mixer. Makes no real difference how you do it, long as you mash them. Add milk, butter, etc. a little at a time and while the potatoes are hot. It will make a big difference. Lumpy mashed potatoes are not a crime but runny mashed potatoes kind of are.)

You can serve this with a couple of other veggies but keep it light, to balance the dishes. This is the basis of a pretty substantial meal and you don't want to over do it. We served it with green beans and homemade biscuits and that was it.    

TURKEY POT PIE

I try not to post holiday and other seasonal recipes and such because there are just too many and I can't choose my favorites, so I stay up all night posting recipes.  I have to practice a little self control once in a while. However, I did make a wonderful turkey pot pie, using the left overs from Christmas dinner this past week, so I am going to share that one.  It is a made from scratch pie and it is delicious. Plus, it takes less than 30 minutes to make start to finish.  This is not really a recipe so much as a suggestion on how you might make this dish.  It would be pretty hard to mess this up, it is so simple. 


First of all, this recipe is going make an assumption that you are going to use pre-purchased pie crusts, for convenience sake. And I didn't want to have to include a pie crust recipe here for several reasons. Making a good pie crust is a learned skill and this recipe is supposed to be easy.  


You will need:
Pie Crust 
1-2 cups of leftover chicken or turkey, cut into bite sized pieces. Make sure to remove any bones, skin, fat, etc.
1 can or pkg. of mixed peas and carrots
1 large onion, chopped
8 ounces chicken stock (or canned chicken broth)**
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or use equivalent powdered)

Salt

Pepper

Poultry seasoning (optional)

Cornstarch

Butter or oil for sauteeing the onion

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
(If you choose to make this pie with only a top crust, which is perfectly acceptable and up to the cook's discretion, leave out this next part, although you probably need to read it.) 
You can make this pie in almost any sized baking dish.  I prefer my 9 inch square clay baker but I have made it in a 13 X 9 inch pan.  (You can take this basic recipe and put the pie together anyway you choose. If you want your pie to be thick, put it in a smaller dish, if thinner, put it in a bigger one.  There is no wrong way to do that part. You just need to make sure your crust covers the entire top and bottom of whatever you choose to use.)  Spray your baking dish with cooking spray or rub with oil.  Cover the entire bottom of the dish with pie crust. No need to cover sides, just the bottom will do, unless you want the sides crusted. Your choice.  Prick with a fork and bake until it begins to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.  If you do not pre-bake the bottom crust, it will be doughy and soggy. 


FILLING:
You can use chicken or turkey for this recipe.  (*I  have occasionally made a vegetarian version. I will include those instx below. I made this once with the left overs from a pot roast and it was good, too, but I would recommend using beef stock if you try that version.)


Saute onion with garlic and onions until just starting to turn soft.  Lower heat to med-low. Add the meat and stir well. Salt and pepper to taste.  It is not necessary but you can also add some poultry seasoning if you like but go easy on it. Remember that a little goes a long way.). Add peas and carrots (well drained) to the mixture and stir. Add chicken stock.  In a small container, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in COLD water and stir until it is completely dissolved. Add to mixture and stir well.  Let continue to simmer until thickened. There should be little or no liquid left in your filling.


Spread your chicken filling over the pre-baked crust. Add top crust, prick with fork. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown.


Try serving this with orange cranberry relish, also easy because it is just a can of whole cranberry sauce with
a squeeze of fresh orange juice and about 3 tablespoons of orange zest, mixed well and chilled.


*Make a vegetarian version of this by substituting cooked, cubed potatoes for the chicken/turkey and using mixed soup vegetables, instead of just peas and carrots and a little more onion.  It was also very good.
**Using canned soups instead of chicken stock and cornstarch will work okay but it will give you a moister filling. I would use cream of chicken, cream of celery...cream of something or other...but remember that the soup will be highly flavored and salted so you will need to adjust for that.


Note if you are making your own crusts:
On the rare occasions when I do bake, I do not used white flour for obvious reasons. However, I do not use whole wheat flour like most people think of it.  I use Wheat Montana products, specifically the Prairie Gold flour.  It is whole wheat but made from a lighter type of wheat that what most people think of a whole wheat. It is naturally light in color, the flavor is delicate and it has all the nutritional value of whole wheat.  It is also non-GMO, has no chemicals in it and is, in some ways, superior to wheat grown organically. You can order it online if you can't find it in your supermarket.