Spicy Stir-Fried Japanese Eggplant and Cucumber

I admit it. Stir-fries can be boring. Oil. Vegetables. Some protein. Cook. My life as a college student was defined by this simple recipe. It was easy, fast, and relatively healthy. After about 1000 of these dinners, and after I had done all the permutations of veg + meat I could think of, I abandoned the stir-fry, thinking I had moved on to much grander, more sophisticated meals.

How silly. Stir fries can be amazing. You just have to think a little creatively. And you have to know how to manipulate your herbs and spices. But really, they can be just as complex and "grand" as anything else on offer.

This certainly goes for the eggplant and cucumber stir fry I discovered on the Recipes for Health column (obviously Martha Shulman made the same conclusion I did about these kinds of dishes). Now, cucumber may not be the most obvious vegetable for stir-fries, but it works beautifully. If cooked just long enough, it retains just a bit of a firm crunch, but soaks up flavors and spice beautifully. And eggplant? Well, anything that has it usually gets my thumbs-up. This was no different. After just a few minutes in the pan, it'll soften into that wonderful silky texture, absolutely more-ish.

This dish probably works best as a side; however, I turned mine into a main (and it probably could have benefited from some tofu or shrimp to bulk it out as such). Feel free to experiment with the flavors on this one; you can't go wrong with boosting the ginger or spice content.

Ingredients
2 long Japanese eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Salt
2 long English cucumbers (or the equivalent in weight of Japanese or Persian cucumbers)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (to taste)
3 tablespoons minced scallions or chives

Method
1. Trim off the ends of the eggplants. Cut in half lengthwise, then slice thin (about 1/4 inch). Lightly salt, and toss in a colander. Allow to sit for 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. Squeeze out excess water, then dry between sheets of paper towel.

2. Meanwhile, trim off the ends of the cucumbers. Cut in half lengthwise, then slice on the diagonal into 1/4-inch thick slices.

3. Combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt and sesame oil in a small bowl. Place all of the ingredients near your wok or frying pan.

4. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two from the surface of the pan. Add the peanut or canola oil to the sides of the pan and tilt the pan to distribute. Add the eggplant. Stir-fry for three to four minutes until cooked through. Add the ginger and red pepper flakes, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the cucumbers and scallions or chives. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, and stir-fry one minute until the cucumber just begins to wilt. Remove from the heat and serve.

Yield: Serves four as a side dish.

Sugar Snap Pea and Cucumber Salad

Summer means salads. As the sun doesn't set now until at least 9pm, it means that dinner is a much more relaxed affair, taken in the conservatory, and made while listening to the music of the ice cream truck go tootling by.
Ah yes, summer.
And salads.
In a perfect world, I would say that all the ingredients for this salad come straight from my garden (including walnuts from my generations-old walnut tree). Alas, my "garden" in this case is the friendly neighborhood Tesco but the turn of the seasons means that sugar snap peas, asparagus, and all the glories of summer produce are at my beck and corporate call.

I was looking for a perfect side salad to go with some hearty protein-y main course, but in the end, this little number became the star of the show. Blanching the peas is by far the hardest part of this dish (and in and of itself doesn't take more than 10 minutes) and you end up with the freshest "summeriest" salad you could hope for. Protein was forgotten instantly as my roommate and I munched on this salad for days.

The other great thing about this salad is that it's light on the oil. The dressing contains barely a tablespoon, helped out by some added water/chicken broth. I thought I'd be able to taste the difference, but the dill, lemon juice, and cayenne go a long way with these vegetables, and you don't end up with a cloying dressing.

I also added in some extra cayenne, dill, and walnuts to boost the flavor. We're all about bold flavors in our house, but tone down the spice if you really want the fresh veggie taste to come shining through.

Active Time: 30 min
Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients
1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
1 tablespoon fat-free chicken broth or water
2 tablespoons walnut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Method

Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. Cook peas in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer to ice water. When cold, drain well and pat dry.

Mash walnuts to a paste with a mortar and pestle and whisk in broth, oil, lemon juice, cayenne, and dill until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Toss walnut mixture with peas and cucumber until vegetables are coated.

Nutritional Info: Each serving has about 59 calories and 3 grams fat.

Curried Cucumbers

 A move to a new kitchen (and accompanying new kitchenware) had to sponsor a feast of epic "moving-in day" proportions. Although this feast took place about 5 days after the actual move, it was a great way to break in (sometimes literally) the new appliances and flatware. Because karma is kind, my new roommate has a penchant for buying produce at the weekly farmer's market. She brought home the most beautiful cucumbers, fortunate as the New York Times had just devoted an entire section to the vegetable (well, actually fruit, but let's not be silly). I had never thought to "curry" cucumbers before but it was a great late summer side dish. The NY Times recommended using about 1 teaspoon of curry powder which I thought to be absolutely ridiculous. I used at least 5 and still thought it could have used more. Of course, it's entirely up to taste, but I say the more curry the better.

Ingredients

4 medium cucumbers, peeled if waxed, or 2 European cucumbers

1 tablespoon canola oil or extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced across the grain

Salt and freshly ground pepper

5+ teaspoons curry powder (more to taste)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or cilantro

Preparation

1. If using regular cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Slice on the diagonal about 1/4 inch thick. If using long European cucumbers, peel, if desired, and slice on the diagonal about 1/4 inch thick.

2. Heat the oil in a large lidded skillet or saucepan over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the curry powder, and stir together for another minute. Add the cucumber, and cook, stirring, for three minutes. Stir in the wine, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat and cook until the liquid evaporates. Season to taste with salt, remove from the heat and stir in the chives and cilantro. Serve hot, at room temperature or cold.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Advance preparation: You can make these several hours before serving and reheat.