Caponata

As a food-lover, I'm constantly on Pinterest pinning new recipes, following other food bloggers, browsing epicurious, and checking FoodNetwork.com for tips from the professionals. When online recipes are so easy to attain, it's quite common for those who frequently cook to not own a single cookbook. Online recipes are faster, more abundant, and, most importantly, free.
But there's still something to be said for owning an actual cookbook. Feeling the pages in your hands, and staring at 8x10 images of culinary masterpieces.
Call me old-fashioned, but I like my books.
Which is why, several months ago, I decided to order a book from one of my favorite chefs, Jamie Oliver. Jamie's Italy, his Italian cookbook, is filled with deliciously authentic Italian recipes that take the cook and his/her tastebuds through a culinary journey.
I tried out one of his recipes this weekend, updated to suit my needs/tastes, and since it turned out so delicious, I figured I'd share it. This caponata is an Italian eggplant stew that relies on simple ingredients to pack a lot of flavor.

Delicious veggies that will fill you up and make you feel good. What's not to love?

To make around 2 servings of this dish, grab the following ingredients.

olive oil
1 large eggplant, chopped into thick chunks
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
salt & pepper
one small red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2-3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped into chunks
1 handful slivered almonds
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Start by heating some olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant, oregano, and some salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes on medium-high until eggplant is browned, tossing the chunks around every now and then to coat evenly with oil. 

Add the onion and garlic to the pan. Grab half of your chopped parsley mixture and toss that in too. Cook 1-2 minutes and add more oil as needed. Add your vinegar, cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Toss in your tomatoes and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes until tomatoes are softened. Finally, toss in some pepper, the rest of your parsley mixture, and the almonds and stir to combine. Pile your veggies onto a plate and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Bravo! You've just created a low-cal authentic Sicilian dish!

If you like this style of cooking, check out Jamie's cookbook here for more recipes. I promise, you won't be disappointed!

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