Bridal Shower Fun & Eggplant Caponata

A few weeks ago, I traveled up to Pittsburgh for a bridal shower hosted by my fabulous bridesmaids. It was such a great time. Usually I end up running around so many places trying to see everyone in the short visits that I am home, but this time, they all were in one room (or house, really). It was awesome to see and talk with everyone. It was such a laid back shower and I appreciate the hard work and preparation that my family and friends did to make it that way. Thanks guys!
 
The food was amazing - homemade goodies made by my mom and talented bridesmaids. Here's just a sampling of the tasty items on the menu that included tea sandwiches, quiches, fruit, muffins, breads, yogurt and granola, bacon wrapped asparagus, cupcakes, pies, and champagne punch.

At the shower, I also received recipes from the attendees. I have a slew of new-to-me, tried and true recipes to try including:

Linguine and White Clam Sauce
Tex Mex Green Bean Salad
Baked Pineapple
Spaghetti Sauce
Ukranian Pyrohi (which was a recipe I had been looking for since getting the pasta maker)
Chicken Cacciatore
Meatballs
Buckeyes
Cranberry Relish (is it Thanksgiving yet?! I could also go for some Turkey Cranberry Ravioli)


Since Nick and I eat bread pretty often, we're always looking for new toppings or dips for bread. We've made Cannelli Bean and Basil Dip, Pesto Sauce, Bruschetta, Artichoke & Goat Cheese Dip, and more. So, this week, I decided to try the Eggplant Caponata recipe given to me by one of my friends at the shower. I figured it would be a nice deviation from our usual toppings. It ended up being a sweet and spicy (and tasty) topping that both Nick and I enjoyed.

Marianne's Eggplant Caponata

Ingredients:
1/2 c olive oil
1 large spanish onion, chopped in 1/2" dice
3 tbsp pine nuts
3 tbsp currants*
1 tsp hot chili flakes
2 medium eggplants, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 tbsp sugar*
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp unsweetened coca powder
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 c basic tomato sauce
1/3 c balsamic vinegar

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, pine nuts, currants and chili flakes and saute for 4-5 minutes until softened. 

Add the eggplant, sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the thyme, tomato sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil. 


Lower the heat and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Garnish with mint and chili flakes. Serve spooned on crostini or with crostini on the side. 

I'll admit, she also gave a Basic Tomato Sauce recipe, but Nick did some grocery shopping alone while he was hungry and there was a BOGO on tomato sauce, so I had plenty to use in the pantry. Perhaps next time I make this, I'll give the sauce recipe a try as well.

*I couldn't find currants at the supermarket (when is currant season?) and so I substituted the currants and the sugar for some black currant jam I found. Next time I spot currants I'll give those a try, but this worked in a pinch. I added it when I was supposed to add the sugar, figuring they had already softened and cooked down when they were prepared for the jam.

I can't wait to try the other recipes I received. What's your favorite way to get new recipes, or your favorite new recipe?

Artichoke & Goat Cheese Dip

Nick was in the mood for some pumpernickel, so he made us a few loaves. To accompany the bread, we made this fantastic artichoke dip. It's a pretty flavorful and hearty dip that went well with the pumpernickel and also went nicely with some crackers when we ran out of bread. The original recipe can be found here on Food Network. We cut the recipe in half, which ended up being *almost* the perfect amount for one loaf.

Ingredients:

1/2 can artichoke hearts, about 3 should work, drained and cut into large pieces

1/2 lb chevre (plain)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp garlic, minced

1/2 bell pepper, roasted and sliced or cut into large chunks

1 tbsp parsley, chopped

1 tbsp chives, chopped

1/2 tbsp basil, chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

After giving everything a quick chop, throw everything into the food processor or blender. Mix until everything has combined and it a smooth consistency.

 

Cannelli Bean & Basil Dip

We had a great dip at a restaurant back in Pittsburgh, Lidia's, and thought it was a great twist on the typical, but also tasty pesto dipping sauce. It was a basil dip, made with cannellini beans, so we attempted to recreate it at home, and I think we've come close.

Ingredients:
1/2 c of cannellini beans, dried
3 tbsp pesto sauce
1/4 c olive oil
salt and pepper

First, soak the cannellini beans in a bowl of water for a day. Then boil until soft, about 1 hour.

Once the beans are tender, drain and then place into a blender or food processor. Add the pesto sauce and enough olive oil to make it creamy. It works pretty well if you add a little of the oil at a time so you can gauge the creaminess as you go. Salt and pepper to taste and serve alongside warm, tasty bread for a great appetizer.