Monday, June 13, 2011

Eggplant -- all the flavor, none of the guilt

Back in the days when I lived in the city, Chinese takeout was often on the menu.  One of my favorite dishes was eggplant.  It was always full of flavor, if not very pretty.  Most of the time, it was also full of oil, but hey, it was a vegetable so that made it okay, right?



Anyone who has ever cooked eggplant knows it will absorb as much oil as you give it.  Most of us are trying to cut back on fats, but eggplant seems to demand it.

So the other day, when my grocery store had these adorable eggplants, I couldn't resist.  For some reason, I had Chinese eggplant on my mind, although Chinese eggplant is long and thin.  I looked through a few eggplant recipes, discarding them due to all the oil, and then, suddenly -- there it was when I least expected it -- steamed eggplant!  Why didn't this ever occur to me?  Of course, I had to try it.


Instead of attempting a Chinese eggplant dish, which I suspected I would never get exactly right, I decided to mix the eggplant with shiitaki mushrooms.  They're supposed to be a nutritional and immune powerhouse, and they have a wonderful rich flavor, too.


Easy enough, I steamed the eggplant and cooked the shiitaki mushrooms separately, merging them at the very end.  Turns out that eggplant steams perfectly!


I've made this twice now, once with white wine vinegar and once with raspberry balsamic vinegar.  If you're into the tartness of vinegar, use 2 tablespoons.  But if you like blander food, then reduce the vinegar to 1 tablespoon because it packs a punch.  I prefer the sweeter balsamic vinegar in it.  If you're after a Chinese flavor, substitute sesame oil and a Chinese vinegar.  And if you like your veggies with a kick to them, add some flaked hot pepper to the mushrooms when they're cooking.

My mom says we have to give this dish a decent name because she doesn't know what to call it. Any suggestions?


Unnamed Eggplant & Shiitaki Dish

4 small eggplants
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 generous cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 cup sliced shiitaki mushrooms
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar

Slice the eggplants lengthwise, and slice those pieces lengthwise again.  Cut crosswise in 1/2 inch slices.  Place in a steaming basket and steam until soft, approximately 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over medium low heat.  Add the garlic first, then the mushrooms.  Pour in the soy sauce and vinegar, and add sugar.  Turn gently.  Cook until the mushrooms are soft.  Add the steamed eggplant and mix well.  Serve over rice.



Wow, we've had so many wonderful new books released this month!  Congratulations to Julie, Wendy, and Riley!

Read on to order books or enter contests!



Congratulations to Riley Adams (aka Elizabeth Spann Craig) on the release of Finger Lickin' Dead, the 2nd book in her Memphis BBQ Mystery series (and does it have great recipes!)
Click here to read a review of Finger Lickin' Dead from Mason Canyon's Thoughts in Progress. Click here to read Diane's review at the Book Resort.

Click here to purchase the book.

Click here to enter Riley's contest!


Congratulations to Julie Hyzy on the release of Grace Interrupted, the second in her Manor House Mystery series.

Click here to read a review from
the Chicago Sun-Times


Click here to order the book.


Congratulations to Wendy Lyn Watson on the release of A Parfait Murder, the third in her Mystery A La Mode series.

Click here to read a review from A Criminal Element.

Click here to purchase the book.

Click here to visit Wendy's Web site and
read on to learn how to enter her contest!

Wendy Lyn Watson's
new mystery
A Parfait Murder features a story line about the Lantana Round-Up Rodeo Queen Pageant. To celebrate, Wendy's giving away a little cowboy couture: a leather and rhinestone cuff, and a "rodeo queen" keychain.

Eligibility: This contest is open to everyone living in the U.S. and Canada. One entry per person, please.

How to Enter: Send proof of purchase of A Parfait Murder (either a receipt, or a picture of you holding the book), by e-mail to wendylynwatson@gmail.com. Put the words "Parfait Giveaway" in the subject line.

Entries must be received by 5:00 PM Central Standard Time on Friday, June 17. Wendy will randomly select one entry and announce the winner here on the Mystery Lovers' Kitchen blog on Saturday, June 18. She will contact the winner via e-mail. If she does not receive a response within 7 days, she will draw a new winning name.

17 comments:

  1. I love Chinese Eggplant. Luckily I live very close to the Asian supermarkets in my area. I get all sorts of Asian veggies. My favorite dish is Chinese Eggplant with beef in brown sauce.

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  2. Ooo. I've never had that! Sounds wonderful, Nora Adrienne. Hmm, maybe I should experiment with adding some meat . . . .

    ~ Krista

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  3. I was blown away when I discovered our local farmers' market carried something like six kinds of eggplant. Big ones, little ones; round ones, skinny ones; stripey ones, pale lavender ones. I cook a lot of eggplant these days! This recipe sounds like a good addition.

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  4. I love eggplant and have a fantastic Greek salad I make with it, but I've wanted something more. This is definitely going into my new to make list. I like the idea of steaming it to keep the flavour without adding tons of oil! Thanks!

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  5. Sheila, I have an eggplant plant growing in the garden right now. it has little blooms. Fingers crossed!

    ~ Krista

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  6. Cynnara, steaming eggplant had me smacking my head and wondering why it had never occurred to me before. I steam green beans and squash and zucchini -- why didn't it occur to me to do the same to eggplant? I guess I thought it needed all that oil. You'll be amazed by how nicely it steams.

    ~ Krista

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  7. This is great to know, Krista. I have promised myself a big vegetable summer and just at the perfect time you have given us this excellent and unusual recipe. Thanks!

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  8. Excellent, Krista! A veggie recipe for me to offer here! Thank you! We do enjoy eggplant and I'd never thought of steaming before, either. I'm not coming up with any clever ideas for names for this dish, but I'll keep thinking.

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  9. Mary Jane, I'm trying to eat more veggies, too. Steaming eggplant is a fabulous way to cook it. I don't know why it took me so long to learn this!

    ~ Krista

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  10. Julie, eggplant and shiitaki sounds so blah. If you come up with any clever ideas, let me know! BTW, they say shiitaki mushrooms are supposed contain a nice amount of protein, too. A plus for vegetarians!

    ~ Krista

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  11. Your recipes are always fantastic, Krista. I've had the same anguish over enjoying (oil laden)eggplant with garlic sauce on Chinese restaurant menus. This is a brilliant solution, and I can't wait to try it. Thank you!

    Cheers to you,
    ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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  12. Krista, I've never been an eggplant person, but this sounds really interesting, so I must try it and see if I can be converted. Thanks!

    ~Avery

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  13. Cleo, it's really easy. Now that I know eggplant steams so well, I'm inclined to steam it more often and find other ways to use it.

    ~ Krista

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  14. Avery, I'm not one to discourage anyone from trying something new, but if you don't like eggplant, you probably won't like this recipe. It might be steamed instead of steeped in oil, but it still tastes like eggplant! : )

    ~ Krista

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  15. I love eggplant and this would be a great lent recipe. I bookmarked you. What a cute website. I love a good mystery.

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  16. Thanks, Veronica! I hope you'll come by Mystery Lovers' Kitchen more often. We have a lot of fun here!

    ~ Krista

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  17. This sounds SO much better than the eggplant I usually eat (which is too oily). Thanks so much for sharing the solution with us, Krista!

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