Mushroom and onion stew

Hi from Caz in a warmish Hertfordshire! Today I want to share a recipe I found on the internet but adapted slightly.

Two things led me to find this recipe, one was a decision to fast for Greek Easter (I am half Greek) and the other was my darling husband having a teenie tiny health scare. We needed to kick start a healthier lifestyle alongside the need to cut meat, dairy, fish with a backbone and most oils out of our diet for the fast.

A little google searching took me to a page of Greek fasting recipes and this Stifatho me Manitaria (mushroom and onion stew).
The original recipe can be found here. I have stuck to the basic idea with only a few changes/extras. My YiaYia (granny in Greek) used to encourage experimenting with recipes all the time!

Firstly I have added an eggplant, and we do also often add a corgette too, I am using tinned (or rather boxed) tomatoes and I've substituted the stick of cinnamon with ground cinnamon. 

Ingredients and measurements:
1cup olive oil
2 largish onions cut in rings or semi circles (I have done both and the rings are prettier in the dish{!?})
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
300-500g of mushrooms (I have experimented with these and found the medium button mushrooms the best!)
1 eggplant wedged
(2 corgettes sliced)
1/2 cup of red wine vinegar (be careful if you substitute the vinegar, malt and white wine are much stronger in this dish and will overpower everything else)
1 tin (or box) of tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper 

The how:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add onions and saute until soft, add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and eggplant (and corgette) and stir, coating well with oil. Continue to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add vinegar and stir in.  

Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, bay leaf, salt and pepper and stir well. If you want to make a large portion don't forget to add another tin of tomatoes to make sure there is enough to make a thick sauce. The liquid should come to just below the top of the ingredients but not cover them. Add water if needed. 

Now leave, uncovered, to cook on a medium heat for about 1 hour. The liquid will cook down leaving a thick tomato and oil sauce. Stir occasionally during cooking and be sure to check it more often at the end of the cooking time.

I love this dish served over couscous. But can also be eaten with pasta, rice or crusty bread.

Bon appetit!

(PS please excuse my hot food photos, the iPad did not like the steam from the food! No wonder they use plastic in food adverts ;) )

 

Comments

[Leanne]

Sounds amazing...! Thank you x