Eggplant Caponata

This hearty Sicilian dish makes a tasty appetizer served with
crusty bread. It can also act as a side dish or salad.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1 large (1 1/2-pound) eggplant
1/4 teaspoon salt, or less
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onions
8 small or 4 large ripe Italian plum tomatoes, chopped
10 small or 6 large pitted black olives, chopped
10 small or 6 large pitted green olives, chopped
2 tablespoons rinsed drained capers
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
Fresh parsley sprigs, to garnish

Trim eggplant, but do not pare; cut into 1" cubes. Place a layer of cubes in
large colander; sprinkle very lightly with salt. Continue layering and salting until
all cubes have been used. Cover with plate that has been weighted with a 2-pound
can or similar object. Place colander in sink; let stand 1 hour. Rinse off salt under
cold running water; pat eggplant dry. Preheat oven to 400o F. Spray baking sheet
with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange eggplant cubes on baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes,
until tender and golden. Remove from oven. Spray large nonstick skillet with
nonstick cooking spray. Add celery, onions and 1/2 cup water; cook over medium
heat 5 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add tomatoes; cook 10 minutes, until
liquid has evaporated. Stir in olives and capers and cook until sauce has thickened,
5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water, the eggplant, vinegar, sugar and pepper;
cook until liquid has evaporated and sauce has thickened again, 15 minutes. Cover
and let cool to room temperature. Place in serving bowl; stir in olive oil.
Refrigerate. Garnish with fresh parsley. For best taste, serve at room temperature.

SERVING SIZE:  1 1/2 CUPS

POINTS:  4 (2.5)

PER SERVING: 140 Calories/5 g Total Fat/1 g Saturated Fat/
440 mg Sodium/24 g Total Carbohydrate/5 g Dietary Fiber/3 g Protein

 


* Whenever possible, I calculate ALL my Points on my website with my Offline Points Calculator
in the Half Points Mode, which rounds UP to the nearest Half Point. This keeps my site consistent.

Return to Recipe Table of Contents