————————–EGGPLANT-CAVIAR FILLING————————– 1 ea Red bell pepper
1 lb Eggplant
Olive oil spray 2 ea Jalapeno peppers, seeded &
— minced 1/4 c Mixed fresh herbs
5 ea Saffron threads, crushed
6 oz Extra-firm tofu, diced
Salt & pepper 48 ea Round won ton wrappers
———————————–BROTH———————————– 5 c Stock
2 ea Carrots, cut on the diagonal
24 ea Snow peas
2 ea Tomatoes, peeled, seeded &
— diced 1 ea 1/2″ ginger, sliced
24 lg Cilantro leaves, for garnish
1 tb Extra-virgin olive oil
Char pepper on all sides. Transfer to a covered bowl & set aside. Grill eggplants for at least 15 minutes. Rub off skins of both pepper & eggplant. Seed, devein & mince pepper. Cut eggplant lengthwise into 3/8″ thick slices. Spray olive oil on both sides. Grill slices till golden & cut into 1/4″ dice. Combine in a bowl the eggplant, pepper, jalapeno, herbs, saffron & tofu. Season lightly. Place about 1/2 tb of filling in centre of each won ton wrapper. Brush the edges of the wrapper with water & press one edge over the other, forming a semi-circle. Press tightly to seal the entire edge. Repeat with remaining wrappers. Lay a round of parchment paper in a steam basket. Cover it with a single layer of won ton wrappers & spray with olive oil. Top with a parchment round & continue to layer & spray won tons in between rounds of parchment. Cover pot & steam over boiling water for 5 minutes. Set aside covered. Place a soup pot over high heat. Add stock & reduce it to 3 1/2 cups. Lower heat & drop in carrots & cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add snow peas & tomato & cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat; add won tons, ginger & cilantro. Serve in shallow bowls, allowing 6 won tons to one person. Each serving can be drizzled with olive oil. Serve with Carrot Slaw & Pine Nut & Orange Wild Rice Salad for a lunch meal. Yamuna Devi, “Yamuna’s Table”