Schezwan sauce and the weird purple vegetable.
That weird, oddly shaped, purple vegetable. The one that you probably walk right past every visit to the market. It's probably the vegetable that the creator of Barney was inspired by.
The EGGPLANT.
To be honest, this vegetable stinks. It is bland and lacking any enthusiasm. I need my food to be exciting. However, Shandy continues to buy it. My wife loves this thing. After years of her buying it, making it, she still had to bribe me to eat it, until we finally found a great sauce to go with it. Oddly enough, this little recipe has become a favorite in our home. We use it for a lot of our different go-to stir fry dishes. Never in my life, have I said "I like eggplant" much less feel comfortable sharing a recipe about it, but here I am...
Eggplant, like most vegetables, is high in fiber, rich in micronutrients such as vitamin C and K, niacin, and copper. Along with getting mega nutrients, this Chinese inspired dish is quick, easy, and full of flavor. If I like it, I can guarantee your family will enjoy it too.
As I've stated before, writing recipes are sometimes a challenge due to my "free-spirited" kitchen methods. Which means I rarely measure and do not document them, but when a recipe hits all the feels I have to share. This recipe differs from a traditional Schezwan in the fact I stayed clear of any spicy peppers for the kiddos.
Schezwan Sauce
1 Tbs Sesame oil
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 Tsp of ground ginger
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup veggie stock
2 Tbs ketchup
1 Tsp chili oil
2 Tbs cornstarch
3 Tbs sugar
Lettuce Wraps
1 head of green cabbage
2 cups of julienned sweet peppers
1 whole eggplant
1 cups shredded carrots
The Process
1. Heat up the sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and onion until the
onion is translucent.
2. In another pan, bring the veggie stock to a slow boil and add the sugar, ketchup, and cornstarch until the desired thickness. Then combine the sesame oil mix.
3. Cook on low heat for another two minutes and set aside in a small bowl.
4. In a wok or big frying pan, drizzle sesame oil and saute the peppers and carrots. After 2-3 minutes add the eggplant and the Schezwan sauce. Continue to cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes and serve over rice, noodles, or cabbage/lettuce wraps.
The kids love it!!
