Thai Basil Eggplant

At the farmer's market this weekend, tables were overflowing with eggplants of all shapes, sizes, and colors. They were truly a sight to behold in their different shades and combinations of purples, greens, and whites. 

Different varieties of eggplant*

What seasoned cooks view with admiration and awe, is no doubt a source of anxiety and confusion for those starting out in the kitchen or new to eggplant cookery. To make matters worse, any specific type of eggplant may be called different names depending on where you buy it!

Have no fear! 

The key to eggplant is to get the right shape for the recipe that you're making--regardless of color. 

This is because those of the same shape tend to have the most similar taste, texture, and cooking methods. There are certainly subtle flavor differences between the varieties, however, a dish will generally turn out fine if you substitute a similar shape--but different size or color--eggplant variety. 

Thai Eggplant*

Note: an exception is the small, round, green, Thai eggplant. This one is more crisp and has more small, pronounced seeds than the other varieties and is best not substituted.

The following is a home version of Thai Basil Eggplant--a dish you can find in many Thai restaurants. Don't be confused by the name. "Thai" refers to the type of basil used, NOT the type of eggplant. The best eggplants to use for this dish are the long, slender types which are often referred to as Chinese, Filipino, or Japanese eggplants. However, they go by many other names as well. 

Thai Basil Eggplant

Sauce ingredients:

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce 

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons Hoisin sauce or black bean garlic sauce

1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch (or slightly less)

Other ingredients:

1-14 oz. package of firm tofu, drained and patted dry with a paper towel, optional

1 pound Chinese eggplant (about 2-3 large), roll cut** 1-inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

3 hot Thai chilies finely sliced or minced

1-2 cups fresh Thai basil leaves***

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

4 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa for serving

Instructions:

1. If using tofu, preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, cut the block of tofu width-wise into 7 slices, cut these in half to make 14 squares, then cut these at an angle to make 28 triangles. On a baking sheet covered with parchment (or brushed with oil), lay out tofu triangles in a single layer, not touching each other. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. 

2. Meanwhile, combine 1 1/2 cups water, soy sauce, sugar, and hoisin (or black bean garlic) sauce in a small bowl and stir. In a separate small bowl, combine 1/4 cup cold water and cornstarch; stir to dissolve and set aside.

3. Heat the oil over high heat in a large fry pan or wok; add the garlic and chilies, stir quickly and then add eggplant and peppers. Stir-fry for 2 minutes (or less if garlic starts to brown or burn). Then, add soy sauce mixture and continue stirring over high head until liquid reduces by half and eggplant is tender, about 3 minutes.  

4. Reduce heat to medium. Stir cornstarch mixture and then stir the mixture into the pan. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat and stir in Thai basil. 

5. Serve immediately with brown rice or quinoa.

Makes: 4 servings

What a roll cut vegetable looks like (example: roll cut carrot)*

**Roll-cut means to cut in irregular pieces, generally 1-2 inches in size. This is done by cutting on a bias, rolling the vegetable 90 degrees, and cutting on a bias through the middle of the previous cut. Don't worry, it doesn't have to be perfect. The goal is just to have more edges that if you'd sliced the vegetable because this will make the pieces less likely to stick to the side of the pan while cooking. 

Left=Sweet (aka. Italian) Basil, Right=Thai basil*

***Thai basil looks similar to the sweet, Italian basil that you see in the grocery store, but you can tell them apart because the stems of Thai basil are purple (or at least partially purple) and the leaves are less shiny and rounded than sweet basil. The flavor of Thai basil also has a slight licorice or anise flavor and is more sharp, pronounced than sweet basil.

*Photo credits: (basket of eggplant) veggiegardeningtips.com, (Thai eggplant) vegaproduce.com, (roll cut carrot) finecooking.com, (Thai basil)  By SweetBasilOrThaiBasil0314.JPG: Cchatfieldderivative work: Cchatfield (talk) - SweetBasilOrThaiBasil0314.JPG, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14867551.

Thanksgiving: Acorn Squash Stuffed with White Beans & Kale

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. Focused on family, friends and being thankful - it eschews the commercial focus of so many other holidays. As a chef, of course, I also love that it involves cooking with the bounty of the harvest.

There are definitely a few standbys on my holiday table, but at least half are up for experimentation each year.

(Successful) Experiment #1: Squash sans butter and brown sugar. This recipe is a hearty, savory take on acorn squash that could serve as a main dish for any vegetarians at your table - or a delicious side for everyone else.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with White Beans & Kale

Acorn Squash Stuffed with White Beans & Kale

Ingredients:

2 medium acorn squash

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 small or medium onion, chopped in 1/4-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons water*

1/3 cup sundried tomatoes or 2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 large bunch of kale or chard, washed and roughly chopped

1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed

1/2 cup coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Note)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. If using, add sundried tomatoes to a small bowl and add just enough boiling water to cover (~1/2 cup). Let rest for 10 minutes or until reconstituted, then finely slice. Keep liquid, you’ll use it later. Alternatively, you can use sundried tomatoes packed in oil. If you do, do not soak them in boiling water, just slice thinly.

3. Cut squash in half (from stem to slightly pointed end). Scoop seeds out with a tablespoon. Cut a small slice off the rounded, green (uncut) sides, to make a base that sits flat when you put them on a pan.

4. Place squash, flesh side up, on a microwave safe dish (generally, only 2 halves at a time will fit in the microwave). Brush exposed yellow-orange flesh with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave 5 minutes. Repeat with other two squash halves. This is just to shorten cooking time. If you prefer, you can cook entirely in the oven, but this will take 1-1/2 hours rather than the 20-30 minutes written below.

5. Transfer partially-cooked squash to baking sheet, flesh side up, and put into oven for 20-30 minutes while you cook the filling. Check to see if they are done with a fork, there should be very little resistance when the flesh is pierced. If there is a lot of resistance, return to oven for 10-15 more minutes and test again.

6. Heat large sauté pan, over medium high heat. Add 1-1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. When warmed, reduce heat to medium and add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes.

7. If using tomato paste, add now and cook stirring constantly 1 minute. Add kale and tomato soaking liquid, if you have it, or 2 tablespoons water. Season well with salt and pepper. Cook covered, stirring every minute for 3-5 minutes or until kale is tender. Add beans and sundried tomatoes, if using. Stir to combine. Add additional water, 1 tablespoon at at time, if things start to stick to the pan. Cook until beans are heated through (1-2 minutes).

8. In a small bowl, add bread crumbs, 1 Tablespoon of oil and a couple pinches of salt; stir well. Set aside.

9. Fill squash halves will kale mixture. Top with bread crumb mixture.

10. Turn broiler to low. Place baking sheet with stuffed squash under broiler (with ~3-4 inches space from top of squash to broiler) and broil until crumbs start to brown. Watch closely as they can burn quickly.

Finished, just out of the broiler - This is what the crumbs should look like after being toasted.

Serves: 4 as a main dish, 8 as a side.

*If using tomato paste, you will need additional water. You may need a couple of extra tablespoons of water regardless.

Note: I used 2 slices Good Seed bread, cut into 1-inch cubes and pulsed in the food processor until the size of crumbs you see in the picture above. This made a bit more than called for in  the recipe.

A giant bite waiting to be eaten

Nutrition facts for main dish serving (1/2 squash with filling). Calories 430, Fat 12g, Carbs 72g (Fiber 15g, Sugars 3g), Protein 15g, Vit A 429%, Vit C 316%, Calcium 32%, Iron 39%. Sodium depends on the amount of salt you add.