If you don't know what to have for dinner tonight ...

This is a great example of how flavorful vegetarian dishes can be. The blended spices of garam masala give it a rich flavor without being high in fat. (You can find garam masala in the spice section of your favorite market.)

Prep and Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion cut in half and sliced thin
• 5 medium cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 medium red bell pepper cut in 1 inch squares
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1 inch pieces
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 15oz can garbanzo beans
• 1 15oz can lentils, drained
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• 1¼ cups + 1 TBS vegetable broth
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
• salt & black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat 1 TBS broth in a 10-12 inch skillet. Healthy Saute onion in broth over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add garlic, red bell pepper, eggplant, garam masala, and turmeric. Stir to mix well for a minute, and add broth and tomato sauce. Stir again to mix, cover, and cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until peppers and eggplant are tender. This is our Stove Top Braising cooking method.
2. Add garbanzo beans, lentils, red chili flakes, and raisins. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with chopped cilantro.
   
   Serves 4
   Serving Suggestions
   Serve with
   • Mediterranean Kale

Printer Friendly Version of Moroccan Eggplant with Garbanzo Beans

In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Moroccan Eggplant with Garbanzo Beans

Daily Food Tip

If organic products from China may contain heavy metals, can you tell me whether this means organic does not preclude heavy metal contamination?

Q. In your comments about organic foods, you mention the benefit of avoiding heavy metals. I had heard that China's "organic" products still possibly have heavy metal contamination because there is no restrictions on the heavy metals that may be in the water used in agriculture. Therefore, I am afraid that "organic" does not preclude heavy metal contamination. Can you please comment on this?

A. When we talk about organic foods on our website, we are talking exclusively about foods that have been certified as organic under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, or in some cases, about food that has been certified organic under state law in one of the more active "organics states" in the U.S. (like California). We are very confident that the level of heavy metals and other contaminants in federally certified organic food in the U.S. is far lower than the level found in non-organic food.

All food imports or food ingredient imports into the United States must meet the national organics standards in order to be certified as organic in the U.S. The importing of organic ingredients is becoming more and more common in the U.S. since the supply of organic foods is not presently keeping up with the increase in demand. Companies that sell organic food bars, for example, may run out of organic almonds for their bars, and look to another country-like Spain-to supply those organic almonds. The source of the almonds in the food bar does not matter, however, in terms of the organics regulations. All of the same standards apply to imports as well as crops grown domestically.

As the organics food niche in the U.S. marketplace expands in size, and as reliance on imports becomes greater, the challenge of adequately monitoring food quality will become greater. Assuring compliance with organic food regulations is already difficult, and we can see how increased imports will add to this difficulty. We'll try to keep you informed on our website about new trends in this area as they develop.

Thank you once again for writing to us with details on the China organics issue. This is going to be an important topic as we move forward since the growing demand of organics is causing "outsourcing" of organic food production in other countries, like China. We hope that concerns about these issues will prompt regulators and other interested parties (like the Organic Trade Association or the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) to press for additional testing and other verification processes that will help to ensure a stringent definition of organics as a trustworthy "label" on food regardless of country origin.

For more information on this topic, please see: Everything I Need to Know About Organic Foods