EGGPLANT WITH TOMATOES AND GREEN ONIONS

Recently I bought an eggplant from the farmer's market.  I grew up eating eggplant but I know that it is not part of everyone's vegetable menu.  This recipe is somewhat nostalgic as my mother would make it and I still remember eating it growing up.   The DH likes this recipe and he didn't eat eggplant until he met me.

It is a recipe made with a handful of ingredients, simple but delicious.  You can see from the photo that the tomatoes are coarsely chopped.  You can chop the tomatoes more finely.  I didn't as this was a juicy tomato from the garden.  I used the juice from half a lemon so the amount may have been a bit more than what I provided in the ingredient list.  I like lemons so the added juice is desirable.

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium to large size eggplant
1 green onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp good quality olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cut the stem off from the end of the eggplant and pierce the eggplant in several spots with a fork.  Microwave in a dish for 10 minutes.  Let cool.

Cut the cooled eggplant in half lengthwise and peel the eggplant flesh away from the skin.  I use a fork to help peel it away and I also use the fork to scrape the skin of any remaining eggplant.  Place the eggplant flesh on a cutting board and chop into small pieces.  Place it in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients.  Use a spoon to thoroughly mix all of the ingredients.  Serves four as a side dish.

Option:
Before microwaving the eggplant, you could use a peeler and peel the skin off of the eggplant flesh.  I have never cooked the eggplant this way but it is an alternate way to get the peel off.

SHRIMP PAD THAI

I like the dish pad thai and decided to make a healthy version of it using shrimp.  If the shrimp was not included it would be vegan.  It is also low fat as no oil was added to sauté the vegetables.  This was a meal for both the DH and I.  It was filling and we had some leftovers.  We both enjoyed it and I liked the sauce which included some peanut butter.  You can add different vegetables than what I used and could substitute tofu for the shrimp.  I added zucchini which is not traditionally added to pad thai.  I didn't add any red or coloured pepper but that would be a good vegetable to add to the sautéing vegetables.  You could also add some shredded cabbage and celery as options.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 small package of vermicelli rice noodles (not the very thin noodles)

1 small onion, chopped

1 medium size carrot, thinly chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

4 mushrooms, chopped

3 inch piece of zucchini, chopped

8 to 10 raw shelled shrimp

1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

Sauce

1 tbsp maple syrup or agave

1 tbsp lemon or lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp sweet chili sauce

DIRECTIONS:

To a pot of boiling water, add the rice noodles, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.

While the noodles are cooking, add the ingredients for the sauce to a small blender and blend until well mixed.  Set aside.  Drain the noodles and cool off with cold water.  Let the noodles drain and while in the colander, cut the noodles with a knife so that they are in smaller lengths.

Using a nonstick pan, heat the pan to medium high.  Add the garlic and onions and sauté for a few minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the carrots, mushrooms and zucchini and sauté for five minutes.  Add the shrimp.  Cook for another five minutes and stir every so often.  Add the cilantro.  Stir and then add the noodles.  Combine well and pour the sauce over the mixture.  Mix well and serve.  Serves two. 

CHINESE STYLE SAUTÉED VEGETABLES AND RICE

When cooking rice I usually make enough for several meals.  I had about two and a half cups of brown basmati cooked rice in a container in the fridge and decided to use most of it to make a meal for two people.  I made a healthy version of chinese style vegetable fried rice.  I used one and a half cups of the rice for this dish and froze the remaining cup in a freezer bag.  I will likely use it in the future to add to the weekly soups I make.  

In making this dish, I sautéed a variety of vegetables with the rice and included two eggs and a small amount of cashews for protein.  I didn't add any leftover cooked meat but that is an option to do.  The meal was good and both the DH and I enjoyed it.

DIRECTIONS:

2 tbsp oil
1 garlic clove, minced
6 to 8 baby carrots, chopped into small pieces
2 green onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
2 mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
1 cup cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
2 eggs, beaten in a small bowl
8 dry roasted cashews or almonds, chopped
1 to 2 tbsp low salt soy sauce

Heat a wok on medium high heat.  Before it gets too hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and carrots.  Saute for two minutes and add the onion and celery.  Using a wooden spoon move the vegetables around so that they don't stick to the bottom of the wok.  Add the mushrooms, cabbage and peas and saute for about four minutes.  Add the rice and mix it throughout the vegetable mixture.  

Make a well in the wok by pushing the vegetables and rice up the sides.   Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the bottom of the wok and add the beaten eggs.  Mix the eggs around the bottom of the wok to quickly cook them and then combine them with the vegetables and rice.  Add the cashews.  Add the soy sauce around the edges of the food and then mix it all together.  Serves 2 as the main meal.