These are attractive and light, making them perfect for a healthy weeknight meal. We like the De La Estancia brand of organic polenta, which is made in Argentina.  http://delaestancia.net/

3 cups broth + 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup quick cooking polenta

1 baby eggplant

1 jar roasted red peppers

4 tablespoons zeytin ezmesi or another olive tapenade

Olive Oil

a few shards of Parmesan or Pecorino cheese

Bring the broth and oil to a boil, and stir in the polenta.  Whisk until thick.  When the mixture is thick, pour it into a square baking dish, loaf pan, or 2" baking tray lined with wax paper.  Smooth over the top to distribute evenly and allow to cool.  When completely cool and set, flip onto a cutting board, remove the paper, and slice into squares.  The best would be to have 4 thick squares, but you should just make-do with what you have in your kitchen. 

Meanwhile, slice the eggplant across horizontally into 1/2" thick rounds.  Brush lightly with olive oil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, turning over half way through. 

Heat up a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a grill pan (or saute pan if you don't have), and grill the polenta squares on each side.  Top each with a thin layer of olive paste, baked eggplant, a layer of roasted pepper, and a couple shards of cheese.  You can bake these if you want the cheese melted, but we like them as is also. 

Makes 4 polenta squares. 

Note: You can buy Turkish olive paste from http://www.kitchencaravan.com/recipe/whole-wheat-rigatoni-olive-paste

Casseroles are a great way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers. We combine leeks and eggplant, which are often paired together in Greek cooking, along with fusilli pasta and turkey meat for a comforting, yet healthy dish. We use the Mastiha resin as a spice in this dish.  Although it is optional, it is a fun spice to add to your International pantry, and adds a unique nuance to the dish. See note below for details.

Olive oil (about ¼ cup total)

2 large or 4 small leeks, dark green parts removed

1 medium eggplant

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth, boiling

½ cup grated Manchego cheese

200g cooked fusilli pasta

1 ½ cups leftover turkey meat

½ teaspoon ground Mastiha powder* (optional)

Salt and Pepper

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut a slit down the length of the eggplant. Peel the garlic and slice vertically into thin slivers. Insert the garlic pieces into the slit in the eggplant and lightly brush all over with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Bake the eggplant in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until it is completely cooked through and the flesh has shrunken in from the skin. It should look deflated and sink when you poke it with a fork. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, scrape out the flesh into a sieve set over a bowl and drain of the excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl, along with the garlic and a pinch of salt, and fork mash it until it is well blended.

Meanwhile, slice the leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse out the dirt well, making sure to get in between each layer. Slice the leeks in thin strips horizontally across.
Heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sweat the leeks until cooked through and completely soft, seasoning with some salt along the way, about 15 minutes.
You can make the vegetables up to 1 day ahead of time and keep them in the fridge.

Once you have your leeks and eggplant ready, you are ready to put the dish together.
In a medium-sized pot, melt the butter and once it begins to froth a little, add the flour. Stir the flour and butter on medium-low heat for a couple of minutes, without letting it brown, to cook off the flour flavor. This mixture is called a roux.
Slowly pour in the boiling broth, whisking it into the roux as you pour. Once the broth is all in there, keep it at a simmer and let it thicken and reduce slightly. Add the grated cheese, followed by the prepared eggplant and leeks, pasta, and leftover turkey meat. Season with salt and pepper and Mastiha, and stir everything together. Pour into a 9x13 inch casserole dish and top with the grated Parmesan.
Set under the broiler for about 5-10 minutes until the Parmesan melts and browns.

Serves 8-10 people.

* Mastiha is a resin from the island of Chios in Greece. It has a lovely piney/camphoric flavor that goes beautifully with eggplant and leeks. You can purchase it at mastihashopny.com

Sicily was under Arab rule for 400 years. The Arabs greatly improved the agricultural methods and introduced many crops to this fertile Mediterranean island. They also left many culinary traditions, one of which is the love of stuffed foods. This dish is for eggplants and red peppers stuffed with couscous, another Arab-Siculian legacy, which is seasoned with typical Sicilian ingredients. This may look long, but once you get the gist of what is going on it is quite easy. Feel free to increase the proportions of ingredients if you are feeding more people. We also encourage you to adapt the recipe to what you have on hand: substitute raisins for currants, salt and oregano for the Middle Eastern spices, and add capers and parsley if you do so please. You may also just want to use eggplants or just red peppers. If you use just red peppers, you may want to add some diced pepper where you would add the eggplant flesh in this version.

Olive oil
1 tablespoon raw shelled pistachios
1 tablespoon pinenuts
1 baby eggplant
1 red bell pepper
1/4 cup yellow onion, small dice
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Pinch cumin, coriander, and cinnamon
1 tablespoon finely chopped anchovies, or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon dried currants
2 tablespoons mint, finely chopped
½ cup couscous
¾ cup vegetable or chicken broth, brought to a boil
Optional: 1 tablespoon bread crumbs + 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

Heat up the oven to 375°F.
Slice off the top of the eggplant. Trim the tip of the bell pepper (you don’t have to take off the whole top). Slice both vegetables in half lengthwise.
Slice a cross-hatch pattern across the inside halves of the eggplant. Use a paring knife to slice away the white veins and seeds of the pepper.
Brush both vegetables with olive oil, inside and out, and place face down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the flesh of the eggplant is soft. Remove from the oven, and when the eggplant is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh, while keeping the outer skin in tact.
Roughly chop the flesh.

Heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over a medium high flame. Add the pistachios, and after about 1 minute add the pine nuts. Toast in the oil until light brown. Transfer the nuts to a plate and reserve.
Add the onions to the oil and sweat until soft, seasoning with a little salt along the way. Add the minced garlic and season with the spices.
Stir in the anchovies, lemon zest, currants, mint, and mix everything together well.
Tip in the couscous. Make sure the couscous is well mixed with the ingredients in the pan, and pour over the boiling broth. Stir and cover with a lid. Let steam for 5 minutes.
Scoop the couscous into the vegetable shells and top with either our Red Pepper Sauce, or simply garnished with mint.

Serves 2 people.

Although Sicilian-style couscous uses the North African variety, this version uses Sardinian couscous, which is called Fregola Sarda. Fregola sarda is a larger variety, and also toasted in its production process, which accounts for its darker coloring and nutty flavor. There are three parts to this dish: making the fish broth, cooking the vegetables, and preparing the "short" pesto. Feel free to variate the vegetables according to the season, and to combine oily and flaky fish in making the broth. It is quite hearty, but full of healthy ingredients, making it perfectly satisfactory on all levels.

Fish Broth:
Olive oil
1 yellow onion, small dice
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 sprig oregano or thyme
2 medium tomatoes, medium dice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chicken broth in powder
6 cups water

1 ½ lbs fresh sea bass or another white- fleshed fish, cut in 2 inch pieces
Half a dozen shrimp
½ lb scallops, foot removed and quartered
Pesto:
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup fresh basil
½ cup Italian parsley
½ teaspoon lemon zest
½ lemon, juiced
Salt

Couscous and Vegetables:
1 500g package fregola sarda
2 zucchini, small dice
1 yukon gold potato, small dice
1 red pepper, roasted, peeled, and cut in small dice
½ fennel bulb, small dice
1 preserved lemon, minced (optional)

In a large pot, heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and sweat until translucent. Add the fish, celery, bay leaf, oregano, tomatoes, and tomato paste.
Sprinkle over the chicken broth and cover with 6 cups water. If using broth, just cover with the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. While the fish is simmering and creating its broth, shell the shrimp and add the shells to the broth.
Reserve the shrimp and scallops for later.

Meanwhile, blanch the potato, zucchini, and fennel (each separate from the other) in a pot of boiling water.
Drain and combine all together in a bowl.

Make the pesto by grinding all of the ingredients together in a small blender or food processor. Season well with salt.

After about 30 minutes, remove the fish pieces from the broth and set aside on a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Strain the broth into a bowl and transfer back to the pot. Bring to a boil and add the fregola sarda. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through but with a slight bite. Season the shrimp and scallops and add to the pot (the liquid should still be at a light simmer). Add the blanched vegetables, red pepper, preserved lemon, pesto, and reserved fish.
Gently stir the pot and ladle into bowls, distributing the fish, couscous, and broth evenly.
Serve with toasted bread.
Serves 8 people.