Susan Wittig Albert: Nightshade (recipes from...)

Chapter One

China's Creole Aubergine

1 eggplant
salt
2 TBSP vegetable oil
3 TBSP green bell peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups canned diced tomatoes
4-ounce can tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh basil, shredded
1-1/2 tsps ground bay leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup yellow cheese, grated
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 TBSP margarine

Slice or cube the eggplant, sprinkle with salt and set it aside while you make the sauce. (This "sweating" will remove some of the natural bitterness.) Heat the oil in a skillet and saute onions and bell peppers for 2-3 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes, then mushrooms. Cook for another minute or two, then add tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for about 15 minutes, then add herbs and seasonings and simmer until thick, about another 15 minutes. Rinse eggplant well and drop into boiling water; parboil 7-8 minutes, or until tender. Arrange a layer of eggplant in the bottom of a casserole dish. Cover with sauce. Continue layering, finishing with the sauce. Sprinkle on the cheese, top with seasoned bread crumbs, dot with margarine and bake at 350*F for 30 minutes, or until bubbling. Serves 4-6.

Chapter Five

Cass' Tomato-Basil Soup

4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
2 cups tomato juice
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp dried thyme
2 dried bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:
Sour cream
4 TBSP fresh basil, chopped
4 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped

Over medium heat, combine tomatoes, juice, stock, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic in a large saucepan and simmer 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves. In a food processor, combine tomato mixture and chopped basil in several small batches and process until smooth. Return blended mixture to saucepan over low heat. Stir in half-and-half and butter, season with salt and pepper. Continue stirring over low heat until soup is heated through. Ladle into 8 bowls. Add a dollop of sour cream and 1 tablespoon basil-parsley garnish to each bowl and serve.

Chapter Seven

Ellie Hanson's Tomatillo Salsa Verde

1 pound tomatillow
2 small serrano chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
2 TBSP lime juice
1 tsp sugar
Salt
Hot sauce to taste

Remove the husks from the tomatillos and cut each one into quarters. Coarsely puree uncooked tomatillos, chiles, garlic, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, and sugar in blender. Add salt and hot sauce to taste. Serve with soft tacos or burritos and as a dip for corn chips. Makes about two cups.

Chapter Twelve

Slow-Cooked Beef And Chipotle Burritos

These delicous burritos are made with four members of the nightshade family: tomatoes, chile peppers, potatoes, and tomatillos.
1-1/2 pounds boneless beef round steak, 3/4-inch thick
14-1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup potatoes, cooked and diced
6 large flour tortillas, warmed
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups Ellie Hanson's Salsa Verde

Trim fat from meat and cut meat into quarters. Place meat, undrained tomatoes, onion, peppers, oregano, cumin, and garlic into a slow cooker. Cover; cook for 8-10 hours on low setting or 4-5 hours on high. Remove meat from cooker and shred, using 2 forks. Return to cooker, add diced potatoes, and stir to mix. Spoon one-sixth of this mixture onto each warm tortilla just below the center. Top with cheese and roll. Serve hot with salsa verde. May be chilled or frozen for later serving.

Chapter Twenty

Ellie's Chicken-Tomatillo Soup

1 boned chicken breast, pounded about 1/2-inch thick
3 TBSP olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husks removed, chopped (or 2 cups canned tomatillos, drained and chopped)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage
1 TBSP ground cumin
5 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 TBSP cilantro, minced

Garnish:
Sour cream
Cilantro leaves

Pound the chicken breasts lightly, then saute over high heat in a large saucepan or Dutch oven n the oil until both sides are browned, about 2 minutes a side. Remove the chicken, shred to bite size, and reserve. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and saute until golden. Add the tomatillos, celery bell peppers, jalapenos, herbs, and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Puree the solids in the blender and taste for seasoning. Return to pot, add lime juice, and reheat. Add the chicken to the soup. When ready to serve, stir in the minced cilantro and ladle into bowls. Drop a spoonful of sour cream on top and garnish with a whole cilantro leaf.


All the above recipes taken from the back of the book: Nightshade, by Susan Wittig Albert, 2008.