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. 

tomato and eggplant bruschetta

The basil growing just steps from my kitchen has proven to be a powerful inspiration lately.  Today I made a delicious bruschetta if I do say so myself!  My aunt and owner of Espresso Restaurant in Gloucester has an amazing eggplant bruschetta on her menu and I wanted to try to recreate it myself.  Rather than breading and pan frying the eggplant, I let it marinate in a little olive oil, lots of garlic and crushed red pepper then sauteed it.  It's a really simple and inexpensive recipe and definitely worthy of serving at a party as an appetizer.  With robust flavors of fresh local ingredients, you really can't go wrong! 

 Tomato and Eggplant Bruschetta (serves 4)
Ingredients:
2 ripe tomatoes
approx. 1/3 eggplant
3-4 cloves garlic, divided
crushed red pepper, to taste (~1 tbsp)
1 handful fresh basil (about 1/4 cup chopped)
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1/8 c. vegetable broth
2 tsp grated parmesan cheese
salt, to taste
basil leaves to garnish


Start by chopping the eggplant into cubes.  Place in a ziplock bag, add 2 tsp olive oil, 2 large cloves fresh garlic, pressed or finely chopped and the crushed red pepper.  I did this about 2 hours before I started preparing the rest of the bruschetta.  

 When you're ready to start, heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a sauteing pan on low heat and add the eggplant.  Stir constantly so the eggplant doesn't stick.  Add the vegetable broth and cook until the eggplant softens, about 10-15 minutes.  I added a little extra basil in the pan too.  Set aside (cool in the fridge).

Next chop the tomatoes into chunks and place in medium bowl.  Add a light sprinkle of salt.  Then chop the basil and add it to the bowl.  Next add two more cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped.  And then add the balsamic vinegar. 

Once the eggplant is no longer hot, add it to the bowl.  Then add the grated cheese.  I used Kraft reduced fat grated cheese (it comes in a green container). 

The longer the bruschetta sits, the more the flavors will marry and the better it gets!  
To serve, I bought a loaf of sliced Tuscan whole wheat bread and I used two slices, cut in half.  I sprayed a piece of tin foil with a little cooking spray, spread 1/4 tsp light Smart Balance "butter" spread on each slice, then sprinkled with garlic powder.   I cooked the bread at 350 degees, flipped the slices after 5 minutes or so, cooked another 5 minutes then put them directly on the rack for another 2-3 minutes.  Just stand close to the oven and watch so they don't burn.  This is one of my favorite recipes on the blog thus far, you definitely have to make this!  

Calorie Count:  Eggplant bruschetta yields approximately 65 calories per serving.  If served atop two whole slices toasted Tuscan wheat bread calorie count increases to 240 calories. 

caprese salad with balsamic reduction

With summer comes heat and humidity, very unfavorable conditions for a kitchen.  When it's hot and sticky, rather than hitting up a restaurant in lieu of turning on your stove, resist the urge and opt for a salad.   The basil in our garden is growing like weeds on steroids so today I made a caprese salad with a balsamic reduction.  This is a 6 ingredient recipe and it is full of flavor.

Caprese Salad with Balsamic Reduction (serves 1)
2 cups spring mix (I like 50/50 blend, half spring mix, half spinach)
3 slices ripe tomatoes
1 oz fresh mozzarella (1/8th of mozzarella ball)
a handful of fresh basil
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar


Okay, so I don't want to underestimate your culinary abilities but just for good measure, I won't skip any steps...


Slice a tomato cross-wise, cut enough for three thick slices.  Next slice the mozzarella the same way.  If you are following the recipe and the calorie count, just use one slice of mozzarella (1 oz.) and cut it in half into two half circles.   A good rule of thumb when selecting cheese is that the softer the cheese, the fewer calories it has.  Mozzarella is comparatively a lower calorie cheese ounce for ounce. 

Next pluck the leaves off of the stem of the basil and stack them.  Roll it up then slice into strips.

Spread the salad greens on a plate.  Sprinkle the basil strips on top of the greens.  Next layer the tomato and mozzarella.  Put it in the fridge while you reduce the balsamic.


In a small pan heat the balsamic on the stove on low, stirring constantly.  Reducing the vinegar simply means evaporating the water.  The vinegar will thicken and sweeten up.  


Drizzle the salad with a tsp of olive oil and the reduced vinegar.  Garnish with a sprig of basil and season with a little black pepper if you'd like.  Enjoy! 

calorie count: approximately 145 calories per serving.