Dinner tonight

Mom is coming into town this afternoon and she’s staying with me while Beau is out of town. It’s Bachelorette night. I was not turned on to this show until she started coming into town and got me watching it. Tonight is the finale so we’ll find out which loser the girl picks. Loser is too strong of a word. They’re nice guys, but in our humble opinions, she let the good ones go. L

 

Mom loves my Asian cooking. Last time she came I made Thai Green Curry Chicken. Tonight we’ll be having Kung Pao Chicken and Stir-Fried Eggplant with some white rice. Yum!

 

Stir-Fried Eggplant

2 long Chinese eggplants, cubed

1 ½ T soy suace

1 T red wine vinegar

1 T white sugar

1 green chile pepper, chopped

1 tsp cornstarch

½ tsp chili oil, or to taste

2 tsp salt

2 T vegetable oil

 

Place eggplant cubes into a large bowl, and sprinkle with salt. Fill with enough water to coat and let soak for 30 minutes. Rinse well, and drain on paper towels.

 

In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, red wine vinegar, sugar, chile pepper, cornstarch and chili oil. Sit sauce aside.

 

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Fry eggplant until it is tender and begins to brown, 5-10 minutes. Pour in the sauce and cook and stir until the sauce is thick and eggplant is evenly coated. Serve immediately.

 

Kung Pao Chicken

1 ½ boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 T roasted peanuts

8-12 dried red chilies

3 T cooking oil

5 slices peeled fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic (sliced diagonally)

1 stalk scallion (chopped)

 

1 T cornstarch

2 tsp soy sauce

1 T Shaoxing wine

1 tsp oil

 

1 ½ T light soy sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

¼ tsp black vinegar

2 T water

1 tsp cornstarch

 

Cut chicken into small cubes, rinse in water, pat dry with paper towel and marinate with the mixture of cornstarch, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and oil. Marinate 30 minutes.

 

Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

 

Heat up a wok with 1 T cooking oil and stir-fry marinated chicken until 70% cooked. Dish out and set aside.

 

Clean the wok and add the remaining 2 T cooking oil until it smokes. Add in ginger and garlic slices and do a quick stir before adding in the dried red chilies.

 

Stir fry the dried chilies until aromatic and they smell spicy, then add in the chicken.

 

Do a quick stir before adding in the roasted peanuts and continue to stir a few times. Add in the sauce and stir continuously until chicken is nicely coated with the sauce.

 

Add in the scallions and stir evenly.

 

Dish out and serve with hot white rice.