Dry Fried Eggplant

For people who love all sorts of food, we dine out very, very infrequently.  When we do go to a restaurant it’s generally to the local Szechuan restaurant where the food reminds us of our time in China. 
One of our favorite dishes, which we always order, is Dry Fried Eggplant.  This is our attempt to recreate the dish and honestly we are pretty darn close.  Though this dish is almost spot on, I will say that it’s often easier to just go out and enjoy someone else’s cooking and having them do the cleaning up too! 
Dry Fried Eggplant

• Coconut oil for frying
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• Himalayan salt, to taste
• 1 tsp. ground Szechuan peppercorns (dried prickly ash)
• 1 tsp. hot paprika 
• 1 1/2 lbs. Chinese eggplant, stem removed and cut lengthwise into 2-3 inch-long “steak” fries
• 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp. Szechuan peppercorns, flakes

Heat oil (deep enough to come halfway up the thickness of the eggplant fries) in a heavy bottomed cast iron pan and heat to approximately 350F.  Place a wire rack over several layers of paper towels for draining after frying.  Mix together the tapioca flour, salt, ground Szechuan peppercorns and paprika and place on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Lightly moisten the eggplant fries with water and then lightly coat the fries with the tapioca flour mixture, shaking off and discarding any excess.  Working in batches, carefully fry the eggplant, turning when necessary, until lightly golden brown and tender in the center.  Remove the fries to the prepared cooling rack.  Plate and sprinkle on the cilantro and Szechuan peppercorn flakes.
Enjoy!

Baked Eggplant with Cumin

Delicious, spicy eggplant, ready to enjoy!  We adore eggplant and this recipe is super simple and just a bit different, one of our favorites.
Steamed eggplant dusted with spice, ready for the oven.
Baked Eggplant with Cumin

• 2 lbs. medium eggplants
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 heaping tsp. ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• salt
• fresh ground pepper
• lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450F.  Wash and dry the eggplant.  Slit the skin in several places to prevent bursting then steam in a steamer until tender, about 35 minutes.  Allow the eggplant to cool and then cut lengthwise in quarters.  Add the oil to an oven proof baking pan and lay the eggplant slices skin side down.  Sprinkle the eggplant with the paprika, cumin, cayenne,salt, pepper and garlic.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the eggplant is soft and slightly toasted.
Enjoy!

Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles

Does anyone else feel like the holidays are racing toward them like an out of control speeding freight train?  I just feel like in a blink of an eye 2013 will be over and I have so much left to do before that happens!  I thought that once I made it through Maisie’s birthday and the party, that life would settle down and I could find the time and return to things like blogging but alas, this and my Moments with Maisie blog have both fallen by the wayside even as fun times with Maisie and daily cooking continues.  Guess in the scheme of things, if one thing needs to be cast aside for a while, it’s better to be living and eating than reporting on it all.

I guess that it’s good that I participate in the Secret Recipe Club and the Improv Cooking Challenge, otherwise I don’t know when I would have added recipes over the past couple of months.  Sometimes it’s nice having those deadlines, just to keep myself in the game and in touch.  Anyhow, it’s Secret Recipe Club time and this month I was assigned Jenna’s Cooking Journey. I scrolled through Jenna’s blog and found it filled with hundreds of delicious sounding recipes but the one that really caught my eye was her Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles over Orzo.  I adore eggplant and it just happened to be a loss leader at the market recently and I had a package of ground lamb in the freezer, so it was kismet!  I did change Jenna’s recipe a bit, most notably, I left out the orzo and instead decided to serve the lamb and eggplant over roasted spaghetti squash, and I served it with a side of grilled sweet baby peppers.  I changed around a few items and the cooking steps but overall, I kept very close to the original recipe.  Jenna stated that her one regret when she made the dish was that she only used one chili and the dish lacked some of the heat she was hoping for.  I went in the other direction and used two red jalapenos from my garden and left the seeds in…so the dish had a really, really good kick, perfect for me but I’m sure way too hot for most so adjust those chilies accordingly.  This dish had wonderful flavor and was just all around delicious.  Thanks Jenna for a wonderful recipe.

 Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles (adapted from here)

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil 
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 medium, firm eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 red jalapenos, sliced in half rounds (seeded for less heat)
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced finely 
• 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 cup Cheaters Chicken Soup 
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and sauté until caramelized.  Add the garlic and stir until fragrant.  Add the lamb and cook until well browned, about 10 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.  Stir in the eggplant, jalapenos & rosemary.  Partially cover the pan and cook until the vegetables are softened, about five minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and chicken soup.  Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Serve over orzo, couscous, pasta or spaghetti squash.

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry