Roasted Red Pepper And Eggplant Spread Macedonian Tolcheni Recipes

ROASTED EGGPLANT SPREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut the eggplant, bell pepper, and onion into 1-inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking.
• Cool slightly.
• Place the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tomato paste, and pulse 3 or 4 times to blend. Taste for salt and pepper.

ROASTED RED PEPPER AND EGGPLANT SPREAD (MACEDONIAN TOLCHENI)

Steps:

• Take the eggplant and peel, slice, chop it into cubes then sprinkle with salt and allow to drain in colander at least 1/2 hour. Then place eggplant in Pyrex bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high 8 to 10 minutes, stirring 1/2 time during cooking.
• Then take the red bell peppers and wash, dry and place under the broiler turning the peppers as skin turns black on all sides (5-10 min). Remove peppers from broiler, place them into a Pyrex bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to cool. (you may use your own method of removing all the pepper skins) Remove skins, discard and seeds then place in food processor and blend 5 to 10 seconds. Add cooled eggplant and pulse processor 5 times until blended. AVOID OVER PROCESSING. Pour the blended eggplant / pepper mixture into bowl.
• Add the garlic, tomato sauce, olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add crushed red pepper flakes if desired. Stir together.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.

RED PEPPER-EGGPLANT AJVAR

Steps:

• Heat oven to 475 degrees. Place peppers, eggplant and garlic on a baking sheet and roast; remove garlic after 10 minutes and place in a large bowl. Continue roasting peppers and eggplant until blackened and soft, about 20 minutes more, then add to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let steam until cool enough to handle. Remove and discard all peels, seeds and stems.
• In a food processor, combine pepper flesh, eggplant flesh and garlic with oil and salt and pepper; pulse until mixture is almost smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with Balkan burgers (pljeskavica, see recipe) or as a dip.

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND RED PEPPER TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Toss vegetables with oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl, then spread in an oiled large shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pan. Roast vegetables in middle of oven, stirring occasionally, until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack, then coarsely mash with a potato masher and stir in basil.

SPICY ROASTED RED PEPPER AND EGGPLANT SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425F/220°C.
• While the peppers and eggplant are roasting, chop your onions and fresh chili (if you are using a fresh chili). Throw away the seeds and pith of the chili, and remember to only use half. Set aside.
• Put the eggplant and the bell peppers on a baking tray. To prevent exploding, poke a few holes in the eggplant, and one small slit in each pepper, facing up (while the peppers cook, they will fill with juice, and you don't want it to leak out).
• Roast them in the oven for about 40 minutes, until the eggplant is soft. Allow to cool enough to touch.
• Carefully put the peppers in a bowl, saving as much juice as possible, and cut in half. Peel away and discard the skin, seeds and pith.
• Cut the eggplant in half, and use a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works amazing for this if you have one!) to scoop out the flesh into the bowl with the red pepper flesh.
• Put the olive oil in the soup pot on low heat, and add the onions. Cook until soft, but not browned.
• Add the hot chili or chili powder, and cook for few quick minutes.
• Add the eggplant, red peppers, thyme, and paprika, and stir.
• Add about three quarters of the stock (enough to cover the contents of the pot), and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• In a few batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth (you need to use a second pot to keep the pureed and un-pureed soup separate).
• Add more stock to adjust the consistency if you need to.
• Add salt, black pepper, small amounts of oregano and coriander, and more of the other spices and thyme to taste. Add a small dash of lime juice as well.
• Serve hot with a spoonful or two of fresh cream on top, and a spoonful of chopped scallions.