spicy eggplant basil stir-fry

When I hear eggplant and basil, my mind goes straight to the delicious Italian dishes I grew up with but tonight I'm straying from the norm.  Our basil is growing like weeds out back and I just got an eggplant and jalapenos fresh from a family friend's garden (my eggplants aren't quite ready for harvest just yet).  I've had eggplant basil dishes at Thai restaurants before and love the Asian inspired flavors, but could do with out the crazy amounts of extra sauce so I thought I'd give the dish a go.  

Spicy Eggplant Basil Stir-fry (serves 4)
1 medium eggplant
1 tsp crushed garlic
3 green onion stalks
1/2 red bell pepper
 2 jalapeno peppers
1 generous handful fresh basil
1 package firm tofu, drained and pressed 
4 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 tsp Siracha sauce (optional if you like things HOT)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup water

Start by prepping the tofu.  Cut it into smaller chunks, place it on a bunch of paper towels, fold the paper towels to cover the tofu, then place your cutting board on top.  The added weight of you chopping the veggies will help the tofu to drain a little quicker.  Don't let the tofu deter you from this recipe.  If you're not down to give the tofu a try, opt for chicken or lean beef... you need some protein to balance out the meal. 
Next, prep the jalapenos.  It seems like common knowledge but, be careful handling hot peppers!  Don't touch your face, especially your eyes... Slice the peppers in half then take out the seeds and ribs.  If you like things hot leave some of the insides and just give them a good chop. 

 Then cut the green onions (otherwise known as scallions) about an inch long.  Cut the red bell pepper into thin strips.  Next chop the eggplant, I like to leave the skin on, but do whatever floats your boat. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok on medium heat.  Add the eggplant to the pan.  Add the water as needed so the eggplant doesn't stick, you may not need to add the entire 1/2 cup.  Once the eggplant starts to soften, add the peppers, green onion, garlic, and teriyaki sauce. Reduce the heat a little bit. 

Then add the tofu. Be careful when you stir so the tofu pieces don't crumble.  If you like things really spicy, add some Siracha sauce or some other hot sauce of your choice.  Taste it before you add the sauce, the heat from the jalapeno can sneak up on you.  I like it hot, but not inedible.  Lastly, add the basil and cook for another 5 minutes or so, just long enough to wilt the leaves.    

I served the stir fry over brown rice garnished with a sprig of fresh basil. Yum! 

Calorie Count: This recipe contains approximately 195 calories, not including the brown rice. 

Good Enough to Blog About: The Rustic Leaf Bistro

In addition to sharing recipes and healthy tid-bits of information on the blog, I'd like to start a new series of restaurant reviews!  I'll be scoring the restaurants with a total of 20 possible points, with three subscales including taste/quality of ingredients (10 points), location/ambiance (5 points), and value (5 points).  To kick things off, I'd like to share my recent experience at The Rustic Leaf Bistro in Milford New Hampshire.  

 A friend of mine from Nashua NH discovered this restaurant and after hearing about her experience and reading their website, it didn't take much convincing for me to cross state borders to try it for myself.   The green cuisine offered at the Rustic Leaf changes with the season to ensure customers are being offered the highest quality ingredients at their peak freshness.  The produce served on each dish is either purchased at local farms or grown in the owner's personal garden.  Entrees include locally inspired vegetarian fare, free range poultry, grass fed beef and lamb, and day boat caught fish. 
The Rustic Leaf Bistro ditched the ol' bread and butter basket for a small bowl of seasoned shelled edamame.  I do love my carbs but the edamame was actually a refreshing and far less filling stray from the norm.   I ordered roast duck breast with fruit chutney served with mashed sweet potatoes and fresh seasoned green beans.   The fruit chutney (apples and dried cranberries) was a very flavorful not too sweet complement to the juicy duck.

 My friend and future fellow dietitian Juliana had gnocchi with eggplant, summer squash, broccoli, mozzarella balls, with fresh tomato pesto.  I snagged a few bites and it was delicious!  Full of fresh veggies and bold flavors.

With all appetizers under $10 and entrees ranging from $14-$23 The Rustic Leaf Bistro is definitely reasonable for the quality and quantity of the dishes.  If you aren't from the area, the restaurant is sort of in the middle of nowhere but definitely worth the drive if you are into healthy eating.  The interior was quaint featuring a few small dining rooms, clean with white table cloths and oddly enough decorated with rustic leaves... how clever!  If I had to point out a flaw in this lovely establishment, I'd say the service was mediocre... our server was not cheery at all and slightly awkward, but no major blunders.  
I'm going to give The Rustic Leaf Bistro a total of 15.5 out of 20 points, 8 of 10 in taste, 3 of 5 in location, and 4.5 of 5 in value.  Great experience for the health conscious diner, and I'm definitely looking forward to their fall menu, pumpkin makes everything taste better :)

cous cous with crunchy roasted chick peas

This recipe is a product of scouring my cabinets and throwing together some hodge-podge ingredients to make a quick and simple meal... I was in a dinner pinch, I was pressed for time and definitely would have settled for a baked sweet potato for a quick dinner but I was ridden with guilt because my last blog post was well over a week ago.   So desperate to create a blog worthy recipe without going to the grocery store, I gathered some classic staple ingredients and got to work.  I just chopped up some veggies in my fridge, including some garden grown zucchini squash from a family friend, whole wheat cous cous, and roasted chick peas.

Cous Cous with Crunchy Roasted Chick Peas (serves 5)
1 cup plus 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth (use veggie broth to make this vegan)
1 cup dry whole wheat cous cous
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 large vidalia onion
1/4 red pepper
1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup zucchini
1 can chick peas, drained
2 large garlic cloves
salt, garlic powder, paprika to taste
fresh basil to garnish

First preheat the oven to 375 degrees.   Spray a baking sheet with a little cooking spray and spread out the rinsed and drained chick peas in a single layer.  Sprinkle the peas with the salt, garlic powder, and paprika.  Shake it around a little to coat all the peas.  Place in the oven and bake approx. 30 minutes or until the peas brown up and get crunchy.  

 Meanwhile, start chopping the veggies.  You can really add any veggies you like... I just happened to have the onions, pepper, mushroom and zucchini in my fridge.  Add the olive oil to a large skillet on medium heat.  Smash the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and add the smashed garlic to the oil (crushed garlic also works).  Next add the veggies and cook until the veggies soften, then reduce to low heat.  

While the veggies are cooking, add the broth to a small sauce pan, boil on high covered.  When the broth is boiling, remove from heat and add the dry cous cous.  Leave covered for 5 minutes.  Now if you've timed everything just right your chick peas should be just about ready and look like this...

 

 After the five minutes, fluff the cous cous with a fork then add it to the skillet of veggies.  If it looks a little dry, add more broth just a few tablespoons at a time.  

Lastly, add the roasted chick peas to the cous cous.  The chick peas add a nice texture and add enough protein to make a balanced vegetarian meal.  These roasted chick peas make a great substitute for nuts... season with any flavor you like (curry is really good!).   Add a bunch of fresh basil to garnish and even slice up a little more for extra flavor.   

Cooking vegetarian meals every now and again is great for the wallet as well as the environment.  If you can, try to cook at least one meatless meal a week.  If nothing else, it'll force you to think out of the box when planning your meals :)