IMBB #19: “I Can’t Believe I Ate Vegan”

Wow, I haven’t joined the IMBB in a couple of months — life has been hectic here! Luckily, we’ve been very “vegan” these days as we gather the fruits of the garden and prepare for more out-of-town trips, which more often than not involve days of eating out depending on how heavy hubby’s work schedule is.

Sam of Beck’s Posh Nosh is hosting this month’s event and has challenged us to prepare something vegan and try to trick people to eat it. This used to work at our house but my children have grown astute so I no longer try to trick them. Besides I’ve learned that actually telling them what things are beforehand AND requiring them to take a few bites of whatever’s on the table works better for our family — they find that they do like some things regardless of whether they associate the name with “something yucky”, as in today’s “Eggplant With Garlic Sauce”. This is a Chinese preparation many will recognize from restaurants all over, but I have deviated from the normal recipe of deep-frying the eggplant cubes before saucing them.

My recipe is quite simple: cube your eggplants, then cook them in a large skillet filmed with a couple of tablespoons of oil. Heat them over medium heat, turning every few minutes or so, until edges are browned and eggplant pieces are softened. I like mine soft but with a bit of body left in them. Eggplant is funny in that it absorbs all the oil that you cook it in, then re-releases it. So you can keep on tossing/turning the eggplant and that oil will eventually become evenly distributed. At the point of doneness you desire, take the eggplant out. Add to the skillet some vegetable/mushroom broth, some rice wine if you like, soy sauce, half a handful of minced garlic, a bit of sugar or Sucanat, and a tablespoon or two of cornstarch. It would help to mix all of that ahead of time in a bowl, then cook it briefly over high heat in the skillet, just until the cornstarch loses its raw flavor and begins to thicken the sauce. Return the eggplant to the skillet and fold gently so the sauce envelops the cubed vegetable. The way I choose to do this, the garlic still remains quite raw, so it has that characteristic strong garlic bite. If you prefer your garlic a bit more done, simply cook it in the skillet with a bit of chicken stock until half-cooked, then add the rest of the sauce ingredients (stirred well before adding), then the eggplant cubes. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with a tablespoon or so of sesame oil. Serve hot over rice.

My kids (ages 14, 9, 6 and 3) eat this dish with gusto! But shhhh, they can handle the word “eggplant”…. just don’t use the word vegan around them:)

Tagged with: IMBB # 19 + Vegan