Recipes: Eggplant Caponata and Salmon with Pesto Cream Sauce Recipes

Eggplant Caponata
and Salmon with Pesto Cream Sauce

Menu for a World Class Buffet

Chutney-Stuffed Brie
Creole Shrimp and Sausage Skewers with Mustard Butter
Eggplant Caponata with Pita Triangles
Couscous and Wheat Pilaf
Salmon with Pesto Cream Sauce
Grilled Chicken and Papaya Salad
Polenta with Fontina Cheese and Marinated Tomatoes
Lemon Tart with Raspberry Sauce

Eggplant Caponata with Pita Triangles

6 (6-inch) pita pocket rounds
Melted butter (optional)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
3 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 medium eggplant, chopped (about 8 cups)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 cups chopped drained canned tomatoes
1 cup chopped pimento-stuffed green olives
1/2 cup drained capers
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Brush the pita rounds with the melted butter if desired. Cut each round into 6 wedges; separate each wedge into 2 pieces. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil until crisp. Let stand until cool. Store in an airtight container.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. sauté the onion and celery in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the eggplant and garlic.

Cook for 7 minutes or until the eggplant is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomatoes, olives, capers, parsley, wine vinegar, tomato paste, sugar, tarragon, pepper and salt and mix gently. Let stand until cool.

Spoon into a serving dish. Serve at room temperature or chill, covered, until serving time.

Serve with the toasted pita triangles.

Makes nine cups caponata.

For a different sandwich, spread caponata on a crusty Italian roll, top with a slice of provolone cheese and heat just until the cheese melts. Or toss caponata with hot cooked pasta and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Salmon with Pesto Cream Sauce

Cream Sauce

1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 tablespoons butter (1/4 stick)
2 tablespoons white wine
4 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup prepared pesto
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Salmon

20 (5-ounce) salmon fillets
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup white wine
Fresh basil leaves for garnish

For the cream sauce, sauté the shallots in the butter in a skillet until tender. Add the wine, stirring to loosen the brown particles. Stir in the whipping cream. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, stirring frequently. Stir in the pesto, salt and white pepper. Keep warm over low heat.

For the salmon, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the fillets on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper; drizzle with the wine. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.

Arrange the fillets on a serving platter; drizzle with the pesto cream sauce. Garnish with the basil.

Serves twenty.

from:
Entertaining with The Home-Field Advantage
Designed and Produced by Favorite Recipes Press
Food Photography by Mike Rutherford
Aramark Corporation
Released 1996
Reprinted with permission.

This page originally published as a FoodDay article in 1997.