The Deadly Nightshades:Deadly delicious or just deadly?

Emma Sharp, Contributor

Unless you've been advised by your doctor or dietician about staying away from nightshade foods, it's unlikely that you've ever heard the term. For those who have been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, and other inflammatory diseases, you might want to consider your options, and take heed when it comes to eating too many Irish potatoes, eggplants, peppers of all kinds, and tomatoes. These belong to the nightshade family, a botanical genus called Solanaceae species, which also includes tobacco, poisonous belladonna, and the toxic plants herbane, mandrake and jimson weeds.

Nightshade plants produce alkaloids, poisons which protect them from insects. By consuming them, we put ourselves at risk of developing many health-related problems, including calcium loss in our bones, and joint, nerve and digestive disorders. That being said, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and potatoes are readily available, very versatile when it comes to one's culinary quests, and happens to be deadly delicious. Or are they just deadly?

Emma's Nightshade Menu:

Ratatouille with Baked Potatoes: Serves 6-8 people

INGREDIENTS3tbsps olive oil

2 large onions, finely sliced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 medium eggplants, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

4 red bell peppers, seeded & sliced lengthways

3 x 14oz. tins of plain tomatoes

1tsp. sweet paprika

3 zucchinis, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

Fresh basil leaves

Black pepper

6-8 baking potatoes

METHOD1. Preheat the oven 400F. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot, add the onions, cover with a lid, and cook on a low heat until softened.

3. Stir in the garlic and eggplants, cover with a lid, and cook for another 5-10 minutes until soft.

4. Add the peppers, tomatoes, paprika, and some water to cover the vegetables. Cover with a lid, turn the heat up and simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Stir in the zucchinis, handful of fresh basil leaves, and a little black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, removing the lid if the sauce is too runny.

6. Season with more basil and black pepper, and salt if needed.

7. Serve with baked potatoes.

Eggplant & Sweet Pepper Lasagna:

INGREDIENTS2-3tbsps olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 eggplants chopped into 1 inch pieces

8 scallions, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

fresh thyme

1/4 scotch bonnet pepper, chopped finely

3 red sweet peppers, chopped into 1 inch pieces

1lb plumy tomatoes, chopped

Salt & pepper

1lb. lasagna sheets

8oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

4oz. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Bechamel Sauce:

4oz. butter

4oz. plain flour

1 quart of milk

Sea salt & black pepper

METHOD1. Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onions, until soft. 2. Stir in the eggplants, cover and cook for 10 minutes.3. Add the scallions, garlic, lots of thyme, scotch bonnet sweet peppers, and tomatoes. Cook for about 15-20 minutes.

4. For the bechamel sauce - melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Whisk in the milk and cook for a couple minutes until it thickens. Season with salt and pepper. You can make up a large quantity of white sauce and freeze what you do not use.

5. Layer in a large and deep baking dish: eggplant mixture, lasagna sheets, bechamel sauce, cheeses, eggplant mixture, lasagna sheets, bechamel sauce, cheeses. Preheat the oven 400F. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until lightly golden on top.

Ratatouille with Baked Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

3tbs olive oil

2 large onions, finely sliced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 medium eggplants, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

4 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced lengthways

3 x 14oz tins of plain tomatoes

1tsp sweet paprika

3 zucchinis, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

Fresh basil leaves

Black pepper

6-8 baking potatoes

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven 400F. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot, add the onions, cover with a lid, and cook on a low heat until softened.

3. Stir in the garlic and eggplants, cover with a lid, and cook for another 5-10 minutes until soft.

4. Add the peppers, tomatoes, paprika, and some water to cover the vegetables. Cover with a lid, turn the heat up and simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Stir in the zucchinis, handful of fresh basil leaves, and a little black pepper. Cook for five minutes, removing the lid if the sauce is too runny.

6. Season with more basil and black pepper, and salt if needed.

7. Serve with baked potatoes.

Serves 6-8 people

Contributed

Baked potatoes and ratatouille

Eggplant & Sweet Pepper Lasagna:

INGREDIENTS

2-3 tbs olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 eggplants chopped into 1 inch pieces

8 scallions, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

fresh thyme

1/4 Scotch bonnet pepper, chopped finely

3 red sweet peppers, chopped into one-inch pieces

1lb plummy tomatoes, chopped

Salt & pepper

1 lb lasagna sheets

8oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

4oz freshly grated parmesan cheese

Bechamel Sauce:

4oz butter

4oz plain flour

1 quart of milk

Sea salt and black pepper

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onions, until soft.

2. Stir in the eggplants, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

3. Add the scallions, garlic, lots of thyme, Scotch bonnet, sweet peppers, and tomatoes. Cook for about 15-20 minutes.

4. For the bechamel sauce - melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Whisk in the milk and cook for a couple minutes until it thickens. Season with salt and pepper. You can make up a large quantity of white sauce and freeze what you do not use.

5. Layer in a large and deep baking dish: eggplant mixture, lasagna sheets, bechamel sauce, cheeses, eggplant mixture, lasagna sheets, bechamel sauce, cheeses. Preheat the oven 400F. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until lightly golden on top.