The Skinny on Chinese Eggplant

An excursion to my local Chinese grocery store is indeed like an excursion to a distant land. There are so many deliciously exotic sights and smells to feast on that I sometimes really do feel like I've travelled to Asia. I headed out to the Chinese market one recent Saturday morning and found some beautiful Chinese eggplant. Egg plant is one of my favorite vegetables to cook with because it is so versatile. The Chinese eggplant is more slender and longer than the familiar American or globe eggplant. The skin of Chinese eggplants is also thinner and there are less seeds which give it a more delicate and sweeter flavor. I've adapted a recipe for a hot and sour eggplant dish that I originally found in the Allrecipes website. You will need the following ingredients:

2 Chinese eggplants

1 tablespoonful each of:

balsamic vinegar

soy sauce

Worcester sauce

sugar

1 tablespoonful mustard seeds (optional)

crushed fresh garlic (use as much or as little as you like)

finely minced fresh ginger

green onions, finely chopped (I used about 4 stalks)

3-4 dried red chili peppers, chopped (optional)

1 tablespoonful peanut oil

Directions:

1. Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes with the skins on, place them in a large bowl and sprinkle this with salt. Fill the bowl with enough water to cover and let stand for about 30minutes. Rinse well and drain on paper towels.

2. In a small bowl stir together the vinegar, soy sauce, Worcester sauce, and sugar and set aside.

3. Heat the peanut oil on a large pan or a wok over medium high heat and add the mustard seeds if using, then add the garlic, green onions, and ginger, stir frequently for a couple minutes then add the eggplant and continue to stir fry until the eggplant is tender and begins to brown (about 5-10 minutes). Add the sauce and the red chili peppers, evenly coating the eggplant with the sauce.

You can eat this hot or let it cool to room temperature. It's wonderful with everything from brown rice to noodles. I even used this as a topping on my homemade pizza. Told you eggplant's pretty verstatile stuff. Enjoy!

Weekend Summary--Trying Some New Recipes

I enjoy having my little brother over for dinner. Even though he only lives 30 miles away from me, it's not often that we get together, especially on a Saturday night (he is after all a twenty-something bachelor with a very packed social calendar of his own). Well, this past Saturday my bro paid a visit to his big sis and her boyfriend and we all sat down and broke bread together. Okay, bread wasn't even on the menu, but nonetheless, we shared a wonderful meal. I was eager to test out several new recipes I came across recently. One was a panko encrusted chicken that a fellow blogger, the cookbook junkie, raved about some time ago. This was truly a hit with the boys. My boyfriend exclaimed that the chicken thigh he was devouring had to be one of the best he's eaten in a long while! My brother and I nodded in agreement. The chicken, with its tangy, crispy, crunchy coating, was indeed juicy on the inside and oh-so-delicious! This recipe is one I will definitely be making again in the near future.
I also made a sugar snap and green peas side that had some lemon and mint in it which I found on the culinary in the desert site.
Refreshing and light, I think the next time I make this I'll add a little more mint to make the flavor come out even more. My second side for the night was braised red cabbage with applewood bacon, one that my brother and I really dug, though my BF wasn't too crazy about it (he says he was concentrating so much on the awesomeness of the chicken so I forgave him). And finally, I prepared a lovely farfalle pasta dish with pistachio cream found here. I personally love pistachios and thought this pasta dish was decadent and rich without being heavy, if that is at all possible. I loved the flavor, the creaminess, and the texture.
Bon appetit!