...such was the case last night - when all three of us really wanted some Chinese food...
...so we spent a little time perusing our cookbooks and came up with this recipe - it's from my other oldest cookbook The Joy of Cooking...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRaGMkgyU8dVHfr9er9Qg3L2ATM-0dp9TFGujxf4x__99pqHb9d4cI-FWT9ww2JBU6iz_itA-7D33H-7p1H90czWrrfO6YWo2dCIyWEYBOzbXrFpv5AyrJRg0nEQQk5ap_7iL/s400/102_2394.jpg)
...so we soaked our dried black mushrooms - and cut up our eggplant...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRzjMCjSw5SwOr4-YuCIdCHx9hDyuqH9mo9l0ssdIaU8k5Fbe5ombXVHd-XE9D0-zH-7MOG7xg9our7CO57By-76dT7Cm1cpjkGjaUXqEWeDQOg3YDex3tjs3Wcap56PaRgFq/s400/102_2395.jpg)
...salted it and left it to sit (it removes the bitterness - the recipe didn't say to do this - I just know from experience that you need to)...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYKxmrwzn-cC-iwZg-6ZtiE2mt0PQRtINLqOMWsdyZAJf6Ks34WcwMqUkIrf2QDhOvNcikeuN3ZCzsTuBU4waS_GAv-BLGqDN47UzcuOACMyZNZWs93zmOB0GaBZ-Mvu4jWbJ/s400/102_2396.jpg)
...then we cut up our other veg - the recipe called for fresh snow peas - but we don't have fresh snowpeas at our little grocery - so we just left those out...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rjDv-xS5x094V9qPBFjoSmilC2rhJNJX9rdAhaaw9Q30eDmgG_HNrkryXcdSwESUAnS6Xtpl15p6vB7lvnUdNMuS86CdfoYflq_UYk8Zm_IQwB9xir8tXMmVa4oRRO_KSQFZ/s400/102_2397.jpg)
...My brother had given us a big box of oriental foodstuffs when we were visiting down south - Thanks E! - so we had soba noodles and Hoisin sauce - which we used as a substitute for the oyster sauce the recipe called for...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEr1mGr9ub7ZZBe4rH40koxtdJ78n6FvgOMh1d1NX7yXQTVHhSyD_FbUwmLfZbwD7Dkl9N3cNr9Dgn6FYg6alohLJ2tehaUFtfEtPvxr-dMZwgK4cXeu0DGmO_YjqL_vWS6Ld/s400/102_2398.jpg)
...Scout loved that the noodles were packed in little bundles with little paper wrappers...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU205VNoYP1V-cOBam0uaO1_vPt-n1453oaOK7qlZ6GjcMNLq_CgV9nqzZKWVVJCyKArXorjEYgrczUdfgjf-l12AJmINfNS9PxM7-bc7lWHhWjKxj6R1dnP8C1iLFhKhPM_AD/s400/102_2399.jpg)
...so we got those cooking...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLUIXVErSeFm2xCUCcINOVoSvw5iF5TRGMnilnmQ6xU1s2jC9I_n8osGtdF2U5bQbL7_bNW7wwaYyY-FbtmoUAygxb0yxUpoBiDeQoGxKkzmN2ZLUgepywvBrGFIjIt3KUekQ/s400/102_2400.jpg)
...then we tossed our eggplant into a smokin' hot cast iron frying pan...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3hj0dYToJ1ER1VIOwRmBJOZlo1cAWdSCvTiWWue8zl_5nOiDnE4QhdGjSZ7kII0a3ElbnPW1VM1FUxIR6SsK-X3ii-ZvV8mO-Si_8Gvhe_ehayGme2kIuBlzmsWAIZ0e6TUj/s400/102_2401.jpg)
...got it all nice and brown...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27mjbXwx4rG-FNlCd6pIWdH7vCw0jpqXaVVMPO6iykR3d_pLeqwIJ9RC7g7rdTCUT68rdjA6ap_1VXA1ZSA5pwSinyxyhSkDaMQOYo6VLzCXs-PlHgqMDI9FJKCIVhYc0NLoQ/s400/102_2402.jpg)
...took it out and drained it on some toweling...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVGPTI0Tk-oAkClezqrhxCSHMvjE-WQdGdc6uZ7KWiu60P5EiriVqlyDWs4gUSwEPWbCS4kuaiR8sYlfiDjcKNt4UWXScJq7SZ9DxD3ahLJ8fZATS3ismfDNvDYwnBS9wT8m7/s400/102_2403.jpg)
...then we tossed all of our other veg into the same pan...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePlrxnJB2PyYjlbVWm6_pdC5jhg1oTOzr4onMNi3CsVqzhWklbqRqOAEssHnOqkUD-vV3WgW-19MU4A3NhGaZ8wIG8IfNHvOmTQDDRPCvCJj-bbn7RPbYpHg-Hp-W8dfK1eZa/s400/102_2404.jpg)
...added the sauce - just a mixture of soy sauce, water and Hoisin Sauce...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65cnzMf7FtSKH7Rh3niewQN_LLKVfVRUdMklzYKMqzOaDhufUVvx-KxfSjICdi7A5Z6Ze-Bv0uEowA6mLiNQCjxZH_B1acyOyJDAX4U0G9C5JdVzMfh0VbKY6GmGqRYpQqlAL/s400/102_2405.jpg)
...add your eggplant back and let that cook almost dry...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24zyqif-8Nba7neFQ9M_daGdhE6jnPFeTfqXGQqznCeRSwTTPeNIiVUNq_UNwwmcrVh5qeyT9AnO1S-0SYVnI_HbsHWJBILPvbX2zVOrWV_5UD_WNUyPLgIecFtJB2eDUaWmn/s400/102_2406.jpg)
...make a bed of your grey noodles on a platter - none of us thought this looked very appetizing...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQNmeYrJggIaYESO8ptgD1ZA6gBlDwrRFfP_eGjB84IXMYNfdp5IwerfZVq-K5IBrqtT5-4vLqKvMmzsn2hC5dXaXMb03CBAt7Gq5qQbVj1rk5yyAZt5oazD56MHYot9QG3l7/s400/102_2413.jpg)
...but topped with the veg - it made a pretty platter...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGstAgYjNjkocD31wOlAP_ZwvRKC3JWyL9AUA8s7Fgl1wN_LgAcU7AknWVi7Ki7EUHPEyjalC5TIMYDVJao8ZzQT65s-wNnBySdWx_6zyZgvtKpK144xVwrxu0Mx2Sm1-X0WRR/s400/102_2410.jpg)
...we also had a side-dish/almost dessert of sweet and sour veg over Jasmine rice - this was so good and so simple:
Sweet & Sour Veg
Cook one cup of Jasmine Rice in two cups of water until done and fluffy.
1 can pineapple - drained and juice reserved - add enough water to the juice to make one cup.
2 carrots cut in thin slices
1 small green pepper cut into chunks
1 small red pepper cut into chunks
1 small yellow pepper cut into chunkns
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar - we used Turbinado
1 clove garlic chopped
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons water
Put the pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and sugar into a pot and bring to a boil - add the carrots and cook for about 5 or 6 minutes until crisp tender.
Stir the cornstarch into the water and whisk into the boiling liquid.
Add the peppers and pineapple and reheat to boiling - cook about 1 minute and pour over the hot rice.
yum!! so cool that it looks better than a restaurant version!
ReplyDeletelove, k
Looks like a lot of work but I'll bet it was worth it. I know how you love Chinese food. MOM
ReplyDeleteWe love soba noodles and that eggplant dish looks good! Now I'm hungry (c:
ReplyDeleteWe are stir fry fans over here and this looks delicious and easy!
ReplyDeleteI think my hubby will go for it even though it has eggplant - wonder if zucchini would be a suitable stand in ?
Oh yum! I always get hungry coming to one of your blogs!
ReplyDelete