This healthy, flavorful dish is completely unlike all the rich foods I’ve indulged in all week. It’s as if a switch turned on inside me, sparking an insatiable hunger for only rich, heavy foods. In short, I’ve been an eating machine. I made a large batch of chicken adobo earlier this week and I’ve enjoyed it every night with mountains of jasmine rice. During lunch, I’ve eschewed salads altogether. Instead, I’ve feasted on buttery pasta and rich, creamy soups. Worse yet, I’ve been satisfying morning chocolate cravings by pilfering handfuls of Hershey’s Kisses (and Dark Chocolate Nuggets) from my officemate’s bowl. Could it be the cooler weather prompting this binge eating? I can’t seem to get satisfied; All I want to do is eat…a lot.
I’ve had a hankering to bake, as well. There are so many new recipes I would like to try before the holidays arrive. This weekend offers some promise for much-needed quality time with my kitchen (mainly the oven) and maybe I’ll have some sweet offerings to share with you soon.
For now, I will leave you with this. I have been meaning to share this simple stir-fry for weeks. I even shared a picture of it on my Facebook page as a “coming soon” post but it never happened. It was an impromptu effort to combine what I had in the kitchen to amazing results. I don’t use the previous adjective lightly. I was so pleased with this stir-fry I have even described it as one of the best-tasting dishes to come out of my kitchen in a long time.
The reason for the delay? I wrote down the ingredients but succumbed to laziness and didn’t jot down notes for the cooking instructions. I thought I had learned from making this mistake in the past but alas, no. Still, I was so happy with this dish that it was worth spending some time to try to replay the process in my mind so I could finally share with you here. I quite enjoyed this with hot jasmine rice but I could see it going well with pasta, too. After all the rich foods I’ve been eating all week, this might just be the ticket to get me back on a healthier track again.
Stir-Fried Eggplant, Mushrooms and Tomatoes
- 1 eggplant, cubed (I used the large ones that are common in grocery stores)
- 2 – 3 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced thickly
- 2 – 3 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 2 tablespoons chopped olives
- Chopped fresh basil (a small handful)
- White balsamic vinegar (1 teaspoon, optional)
- Olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- Fish sauce, 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon
- Splash of stock
- Chili flakes, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
- In a large pan, add a tablespoon or two of olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and a pinch of salt. Cook until the eggplant pieces are tender and lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Follow the same steps as above for the mushrooms and combine with the cooked eggplant in a bowl.
- Add a bit more olive oil to the same pan, reduce heat to medium and add the garlic and chili flakes. Cook until just fragrant, about 3o seconds. Be careful not to allow the garlic to burn. Add the tomatoes and fish sauce and cook over medium-high heat until they start to wilt and release some of their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the basil, a small splash of vinegar (if using) and chicken stock. Cook for another few minutes until the flavors begin to meld.
- Add the eggplant and mushrooms back in, stir, and taste for additional seasoning. You probably won’t need more at this point.
- Serve on a platter and garnish with more fresh basil.
I bookmarked this for later! What a wonderful Lenten dish this would make. I couldnt resist in adding Udon or rice noodles to this. Thanks for sharing.
It is hard to get back on track after crazy busy weeks…or weekends full of indulgent foods and cocktails. This dish should help kick start your program. It may even be inspiration to the rest of us.
I want to eat this with a thick, crusty piece of bread.
Wonderful, flavorful, healthy and aromatic recipe:)
https://mywanderingspoon.wordpress.com/2011/11/10/my-new-video-sweet-potato-pecan-tart-grill-style-recipe/
Oh, how delicious! Definitely one for the must cook list!
I think our bodies are very smart so if you’re craving richer foods, then you should eat them. I’m sure a switch will turn on eventually for more veggie filled dishes. Also, when this happens, I typically can’t stomach salads but warm (esp roasted!) veggies still are super appetizing. This dish may just be your ticket to a more balanced diet! 🙂
Our bodies usually know what it’s missing…except sometimes I think my body THINKS it’s craving chocolate way too much.
What a yummy and healthy recipe! i will have to keep this recipe in mind next time i have eggplants in my fridge.
That is one amazing recipe..I just may try it today..thank you for sharing
I’ve been eating a lot too, and the holiday season is not even here yet. I have to remember to cook more healthy stuff. This dish looks and sounds really healthy and delicious!
This looks wonderful and so many delicious ingredients too! A must try, thanks 🙂
Great recipe, and, as you say, very versatile – I can definitely see this as a side, on pasta (maybe with added bocconcini), or on a bruschetta. I’m starving right now! Wonderful pictures.
Love the big ol’ mushrooms in this dish! I am convinced I need to make this using mushrooms only 🙂
The vegetables look terrific! I’d love this on some fresh fettuccine.
I definitely go through some binge bad eating habits every now and then too. But isn’t it funny how one great (and healthy) dish can turn it all around – even just for a second? This dish looks great!
This is a beautiful stir fry and all the flavors just make me think I would be sitting on a Mediterranean beach somewhere.
What a simple and healthy dinner! I will definitely be trying this sometime soon. Thanks for the great recipe.
Wow, made this as a side dish tonight, amazing! I did a few alterations but did not deviate much from the original. Coated the eggplant with cornstarch, used red balsamic (I did not have white at hand), used anchovy paste instead of the fish sauce. I must say, the flavours and veggie combination are wonderful! I had a few eggplant and tomatoes in my garden along with fresh basil and when I found your recipe I gave it a whirl. This is definetly a keeper ~ thank you so much for sharing, my family and I appreciate it!!
Hi, Ro. What a nice thing to hear, thank you! I imagine that the substitutions you made would have yielded the same results but using your homegrown vegetables, I bet, made this recipe even tastier. Thanks so much for taking the time to offer your feedback and I appreciate that you gave this recipe a chance. 🙂
This is a phenomenal recipe!!! I just made it. Thank you so much. I had to switch the fish sauce for worcestershire as my fish sauce was expired. 🙁 but it was amazing!!!!! Thank you so much!!! Will make again 100 percent.
Brandi, thanks for giving this recipe a chance and I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Glad you had a substitute for the fish sauce. 🙂