Blonde Brownies

     After reading Lele's post, on her blog Short & Sweet, about Conga brownies that she made in honor of Irene's visit to the East Coast, I was inspired to try something similar for yet another last minute dinner party.  Tonight's dinner party included my parents, brother, and his girlfriend Annie.  It is a last minute dinner party, consisting of pizza ordered from the first open pizza place we could find, because my parents lost power at their house so I invited them to come hang out with us tonight.  I would have used the exact same recipe as Lele, however I did not have that much brown sugar!  Instead I found a recipe on allrecipes.com for a Toll House recipe for Blonde Brownies.  Tonight we are celebrating that we are all safe from the storm and hoping that all our loved ones can say the same.

Blonde Brownies

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 packed brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (12 oz) package of of semi sweet chocolate morsels (I used milk chocolate because it was what I had)

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
1. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until it is soft and creamy.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Gradually sift in the flour mixture and mix until well combined.
3. Grease a 9x13 baking pan.  Spread mixture evenly in pan. 
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. 
5.  Cool on a wire rack before cutting and serving.

The Taste Test 
   My dad ate more than one, a sign that he liked these brownies better than he liked my key lime pie sandwiches.  These came out nice and moist and delicious.  I forgot one step that Lele suggested, tossing the chocolate chips in flour before stirring them into the mix to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the brownie.  I'll have to remember this for next time!

Black Bean and Zucchini Pancakes

     I know I've said this before, but one of the best things about this blog has been the connections I have made with people.  I just wrote a comment to my friend Heather about how despite being on opposite coasts, I feel that we share so much just by staying connected through sharing recipes and the anecdotes that go along with them.  I've also been able to stay in touch with some of the people I met this summer, from the Responsive Classroom training that I attended, in the same way.  My friend Suzy from Fairfax, Virginia has made several of the recipes I have written about and always writes to me to let me know how they have gone.  She recently shared one of her favorite summer recipes with me, black bean and zucchini pancakes.  The ironic thing about this is that Friday night, my friend Elena from work texted me to say that she was out to dinner and had zucchini pancakes that were delicious and we would have to figure out how to make them.  Little did she know, I was planning to make Suzy's recipe the very next day!

Black Bean and Zucchini Pancakes

Ingredients
1 can (15 oz) of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 egg whites
1 tsp roasted garlic, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 medium zucchini, shredded (about 1 1/3 cups)
1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
salsa
reduced fat sour cream


Method
1. In a medium bowl, mash the black beans along with the garlic, cumin, and egg whites.  This mixture should be coarse, with a mixture of mashed and nearly whole beans.
2. Stir in the zucchini and bread crumbs.
3. Heat a large skillet and one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Divide the bean mixture in half and drop 4 mounds into the skillet, flattening them with a fork.  Cook for about 4 minutes, turning once.
4. Repeat with remaining bean mixture to form 4 more pancakes.
5. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

The Taste Test
     These pancakes were simple to make with such a short list of ingredients.  I always have trouble with keeping recipes like this in one piece as I flip them.  It took me a bit of experimenting to find a system that worked.  At first I used a quarter cup measuring cup to transfer the bean mix to the skillet.  I found that they crumbled before I even attempted to flip them.  For my second attempt, I used less of the mix and used my hands to compact the mixture a bit before flattening it into a pancake in the skillet. This system proved to be a bit more successful.  Even though my pancakes did not look like pancakes in the end, they still tasted great.  The black beans gave them a very hearty feel and they were very filling.  I'm not a huge fan of salsa or sour cream, so I ate mine plain but I bet the salsa and sour cream would help add a nice contrast to the texture of the pancake.  Thanks Suzy for sharing this recipe with me!

 

Arnauld's Twist on Mediterranean Pasta

     So I am officially back to work, although I worked all summer!  The beginning of this year has been interesting only because I am not preparing for a class as I have the past six years.  Instead I am trying to figure out my new role as a reading teacher.  It has been a bittersweet transition because I loved my job as a classroom teacher.  I loved the clean slate that came with the beginning of the school year and the excitement of getting to know a new group of students.  Right now, I am not sure what to expect but am certain that I will love my new role because I love to teach reading. 
     As  I went back to work, Arnauld had a week of vacation.  The threats of Hurricane Irene have been all that there is to talk about, so he has been completing the to-do lists that I leave for him so that we are prepared for the storm.  Although he thinks I'm crazy, he has gone grocery shopping and bought bottled water and snacks, moved all of the patio furniture into the garage, and even done the laundry.  I sneaked in line, "something for dinner" on yesterday's grocery list.  When I got home from the gym last night, I was greeted with the warm smell of his own version of Mediterranean Pasta.


Arnauld's Mediterranean Pasta

My camera is still not back from being repaired :(

Ingredients
1/2 box penne pasta
1/2 bag of spinach (about 5 oz)
1 can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black olives, cut in half
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
dried oregano
dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
crumbled feta (for topping)

Method
1. Cook the pasta in a large pot according to the package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Saute the garlic until golden brown.
3. Add the diced tomatoes and beans to the skillet.  Stir in a dash of salt, oregano, and basil.  Increase the heat to medium high to bring the mixture to a boil.
4. After about ten minutes, add the spinach and olives and lower the heat to a simmer. Stir in the spinach until it begins to wilt.  Let the mixture simmer for about 2 minutes.
5. Serve the vegetable mixture over the pasta, topped with a sprinkling of feta cheese.  Arnauld said for a thicker sauce, you can add in the feta in with the spinach and olives.

The Taste Test
     This was a very simple dish, but all of the ingredients really complimented each other.  I liked the texture of the beans against the fresh taste of the tomatoes mixed in with the saltiness of the olives.  I love when Arnauld cooks!

Scallops with Pesto

    A quick trip to  my mom's today and we were gifted some homemade pesto made with basil from my parents garden-plants courtesy of who else but Gram.  My mom threw a twist into her pesto and used almonds instead of the traditional pine nuts.  The result was a drier and nuttier tasting pesto that I thought was really great.  I've heard that you can use a variety of nuts to make pesto.  I think I might try walnuts next!

Scallops with Pesto
Inspired by Rachel Ray

Ingredients
1/2 lb scallops
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium tomatoes
2 tbsp pesto (you can use store bought pesto or make your own)
2 tbsp fresh basil

Method
 1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat.  Pan sear the scallops until they are golden on each side-about 2 minutes per side.
2. While the scallops are cooking, chop 2 tomatoes into bite sized pieces and mix in chopped basil.
3. Serve scallops over the tomato.  Drizzle a bit of pesto on each scallop before serving.

The Taste Test
     A delicious dinner in about five minutes.  Can't beat that!  Thanks to my mom for sharing her pesto-the almonds made it taste great.  For those of you keeping track, I'm now a fan of scallops.  It only took 28 years.

Gazpacho...A garden in a bowl

     The other day I went to the Farmer's Market and sampled some delicious gazpacho, which prompted me to begin a search for a recipe to make my own.  I looked through all of my cook books and found outrageous things such as peach and almond gazpacho as well as others that had very long lists of ingredients.  The gazpacho I had tasted was fresh and simple.  I knew that it had to be simpler than what I was finding.  In a final attempt, I opened my copy of Clean Food and found the recipe that seemed to most closely match what I had tasted.  Yet another solution to the abundance of tomatoes coming my way!

Gazpacho

Ingredients
3-4 medium-large tomatoes
1 small red onion, minced
1 green pepper, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cucumber, diced small
2 tbsp fresh basil
2 tbsp fresh parsley
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 dash of hot sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cups tomato juice
salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Carefully drop the tomatoes in whole and let sit for 30 seconds.  Drain the pot and allow the tomatoes to cool until they are comfortable enough to hold.  Peel the skin from the tomatoes and dice the tomatoes into very small pieces.
2. Combine tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper. Chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving.

The Taste Test
     This recipe tastes like summer!  Everything, aside from the tomato juice, came straight from the garden.  The flavors were fresh and a bowl of this gazpacho will definitely cool you off on a hot summer night.  The original recipe called for 4 cups of tomato juice.  The tomatoes I used were really juicy so I only used 3 cups.  I think next time I might even use less so that the consistency is chunkier.

Roasted Eggplant with Tomato and Mint

    This is another recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine, which featured the blogger of Smitten Kitchen.  This blog has great recipes and beautiful pictures.  Hopefully my camera will be repaired and back in action soon so I can continue working on my photography skills.
    Once again, all of the ingredients were garden fresh.  Gotta love fresh veggies!

Roasted Eggplant with Tomato and Mint

Ingredients
Olive Oil Spray
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1 inch rounds
salt and pepper
1/4 cup crumbled feta
2 tbsp capers (you can also use olives)
1/3 cup red onion, diced small
1 large tomato, seeded and diced very small
3 tbsp fresh mint leaves, minced
2 tsp red-wine vinegar

Method
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
1. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil.  Place eggplant rounds in a single layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast until the undersides are brown, about 20-25 minutes.  Flip the eggplant and sprinkle with salt and pepper again.  Bake until the undersides are brown, an additional 10-12 minutes.
2. While the eggplant is roasting, mix together 1 teaspoon of olive oil, feta, capers, onion, tomato, mint, and vinegar.
3. Move the eggplant rounds to a serving platter and top each with a spoonful of the tomato mixture.

The Taste Test
    Arnauld and I both enjoyed this recipe.  Actually, it is one of my favorite things I've made in a while. 

Key Lime Pie Sandwiches

    From time to time my mom would mention recipes she got from her daily emails from Hungry Girl, some of them are pretty good-like the Asian Broccoli Slaw she made for Father's Day.  I recently signed up to receive the emails myself.  I'm not always a fan of everything suggested because it uses a lot of artificial substitutes to cut down the calories in popular dishes, but every once in a while something stands out and I save the email in order to give something a try.  That's what happened with this recipe for Key Lime Pie Sandwiches.  My Dad is a big fan of key lime pie and he has a recipe that he likes to whip up to show off his baking skills (it's a no bake recipe!).  His recipe calls for sour cream, while this recipe uses plain Greek Yogurt.  I plan to bring my Dad one of these treats and see if he can tell the difference.

Key Lime Pie Sandwiches 

Ingredients
1/2 cup plain Chobani Yogurt
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lime juice
2 sheets of graham crackers

Method
1. Place the yogurt in a small bowl and mix in the sugar and lime juice.  Cover and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
2. Remove the filling from the freezer and spread half of the mixture over half a sheet of graham crackers and then top with the other half.
3. Place sandwiches in the freezer to set for about an hour.

This recipe makes just 2 sandwiches.

The Taste Test
     Dad said he wasn't sure it tasted like key lime pie.  He went on to say, "it's not something I would say is wonderful and delicious and it hurt my tooth so it didn't make it easy.  It was ok...just ok."  Then he kept going, "it wouldn't be something I'd say, do that again.  I like the creamy part of my pie."  So needless to say, he wasn't a big fan.

Vegetable Couscous Salad

      My September magazines are starting to trickle in!  Right before we left for North Carolina, I got Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine.  I threw it in my bag and marked a bunch of recipes while flying.  Luckily, many of the recipes  called for ingredients that are growing in the garden right now.  I made this couscous salad to use some tomatoes and cucumbers in something other than a traditional salad.

Vegetable Couscous Salad

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat couscous
1 medium onion. thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch wedges
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 tbsp torn mint leaves
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Cook 1 cup of couscous according to package directions.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients plus the cooled down couscous.
3. Season with salt and pepper.

The Taste Test
Simple and tasty.  A nice variation on the old tomato and cucumber salad.

Penne and Zucchini with Lime and Herbs

     I feel like I haven't posted in forever...but it's only been about a week!  Arnauld and I just got home from visiting my sister and her family in North Carolina.  We had a great time playing with the kids and just spending time together.  While we were traveling, I picked up a Rachel Ray magazine and while our flight was delayed last night, Arnauld and I picked a recipe to make for dinner tonight.


Penne and Zucchini with Lime and Herbs

Ingredients
Salt and Pepper
1 lb penne pasta
2 medium zucchini
3 tbsp olive oil
1 chili pepper, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chopped
1 cup grated pecorino-romano cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts

Method
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add salt and pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain and save 1 cup of the water.
2. While the pasta is cooking, cut the zucchini into fat matchsticks, about 1/4 inch by 2 inch strips.
3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Stir in the garlic and chili peppers and cook for one minute.  Add the zucchini and season with salt and pepper.  Cook 8-10 minutes or until tender.
4. Add the lime juice to the zucchini and stir in the butter until melted.  Add the pasta, parsley, mint, and basil along with a handful of the cheese.  Stir in the reserved water from the pasta.  Toss for one to two minutes.  Top with more cheese and the pistachios.

The Taste Test
   Yum!  This was a simple and very tasty dish.  I even threw in some yellow squash along with the zucchini.  Delicious!

Baked Tilapia with Yellow Squash and Zucchini

     I can't go to anywhere without getting inundated with vegetables.  I saw my Grandma today and received two cucumbers and then while at my parents house my dad tried to unload two rather large yellow squash on me.  I escaped with only one...only because I still had one from last week.  The gardens are producing way more than we can eat at this point.  I'm not really complaining because I love the fresh produce.  It just puts a little added pressure on me to figure out what to do with it all!

Baked Tilapia with Yellow Squash and Zucchini
Recipe from cbsop.com

Taken with my iPhone since my camera is in for repairs...

Ingredients
2 tilapia fillets
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium yellow squash, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic
4 tbsp garlic infused olive oil (see recipe below)
Salt and pepper to taste


 Garlic Infused Olive Oil
1.  Heat a small saucepan over low heat.  Add 1/3 cup olive oil (or desired amount) and 1 clove of garlic, cut in half. 
2. Allow to cook, stirring occassionally, until the garlic is a deep brown and wilted.
3. Remove the garlic from the olive oil.  Store oil in an air tight container in the refrigerator between uses.

Method
1. To saute the zucchini and squash, begin by adding 1-2 tablespoons of garlic infused olive oil to a large skillet.
2. Add onions and cook for about 3 minutes.
3. Add squash and zucchini and cook until the vegetables are tender.
4. Meanwhile, brush both sides of the tilapia with the garlic infused olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake in a glass baking dish for 10-12 minutes or until the fish is flaky.
5. Serve the fish topped with the squash and zucchini.  You can garnish this dish with lemon juice and fresh parsley if desired.
 

Grandma's Eggplant

     The vegetable of the week is eggplant.  My Grandma picked at least 10 medium sized eggplants from her garden this week.  So we spent the morning making breaded eggplant together.  This is one of my favorite things my Grandma makes.  She even freezes it and occasionally surprises me with some throughout the year, when I least expect it.  As I've said before, my Grandma doesn't really use a recipe but I'm going to attempt to get it down in case I ever want to make it on my own.  This eggplants tastes great on it's own, made into eggplant Parmesan, or as part of a sandwich.

Breaded Eggplant

Ingredients
2 medium eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
2 eggs
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups breadcrumbs
olive oil

Method
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
1. Beat the eggs in a small shallow bowl then mix in the Parmesan cheese.
2. Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish.
*3. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with olive oil.
4. Dip each piece of the sliced eggplant into the egg batter.  Place it in the breadcrumbs and coat completely.  Place the eggplant in a single layer on the baking sheet.
5. Once the baking sheet is full, bake in the oven for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, flip the eggplant and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.  The eggplant should be golden and a bit crispy.
6. Transfer to a dish lined with paper towel.

*My grandma actually dips one side of each eggplant slice in a bit of oil and then places it on the baking sheet, oil side up.  If I made them, I think I would try just a bit of oil sprayed to cut down on the amount of oil used.

Summer Scallop Salad

     Arnauld requested scallops for dinner.  My Grandma's garden is starting to produce tomatoes at a rapid pace, I can hardly keep up.  I decided to put them to good use, along with cucumbers from our own garden and lettuce from the farmer's market, in a salad topped with scallops. 

Summer Scallop Salad
Recipe from Better Recipes

Ingredients
3/4 lb scallops
1 tbsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp balsamic vinager
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp molasses
salad made from your favorite salad ingredients

Method
1. Sprinkle lemon pepper and salt over scallops.  Mix to coat.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Cook the scallops until they are firm and opaque.  Remove them from the skillet and place them on a paper towel to drain.
3. In the same skillet, mix the remaining oil, chives, garlic, vinegar, honey, and molasses.  Allow these ingredients to come to a boil and then remove from the heat.  Drizzle this sauce over your salad topped with scallops.

The Taste Test
There is nothing better than super fresh ingredients prepared simply.  This was a quick and easy dinner, tossed together in less than 15 minutes. 

Ice Cream Social

     August's Better Homes and Gardens Magazine had a spread on a woman named Jeni Britton Bauer who has perfected homemade ice cream making.  There were ideas for adult ice cream socials, which I thought was great especially since I love ice cream.  My book club was due for a meeting and although we all aren't up to date on the same books at the moment, we decided to meet-the perfect opportunity for an ice cream social.  I loved the photos from the spread in BHG and all of the treats looked delicious.  There was plenty of inspiration for a summer gathering of friends.

     One idea I got was pie crust cookies and different fruit sauces that you can make to accompany them, instead of making an actual pie.  The cookies on their own were kind of plain but combined with fresh peaches heated on the stove with a little brown sugar and some vanilla ice cream, they were pretty good.

Pie Crust Cookies

Ingredients
2 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cold
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1 tsp lemon juice or cider vinegar
6 tbsp ice cold water
3 tbsp cinnamon sugar

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degree
1. Mix flour, sugar, and salt together.
2. Cut in shortening and butter until the consistency of the mix looks like crumbs.
3. Mix in the vinegar and the water.  The dough should just begin to cling together.
4. Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. After chilling the dough, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1/8 inch thick.  Cut into desired shapes.
6. Place cookies on an ungreased baking sheet.
7. Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

      The magazine also featured the prettiest little ice cream sandwiches that I envisioned being a big hit at our book club meeting.  Unfortunately, my cookies were super soft and most of them ended up in a bowl to be used as a topping for ice cream sundaes.  There was no way these cookies could be used for a sandwich.  I'm not sure what went wrong.  They tasted delicious but didn't hold together very well at all.

Oatmeal Ice Cream Pies
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Method
1. Beat butter on low in a large mixing bowl until it is soft and creamy.
2. Beat in both sugars and the salt.  Next beat in the molasses and vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, and baking soda.  Then fold it into the butter mixture, one half at a time.  Be careful not to overwork the batter.
4. Line baking sheets with parchment paper before scooping tablespoon sized drops of batter about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 7 minutes and then turn the pans in the oven and cook for an additional 4-6 minutes.  The edges of the cookies should be golden brown while the center is barely set.  Allow the cookies to cool a bit before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. After cookies have cooled, sandwich vanilla bean ice cream between two cookies to make ice cream sandwiches.  Store in the freezer prior to serving.

     It wouldn't be an adult ice cream social without some adult beverages.  Sticking to the summer theme, I made Strawberry and Orange Sangria.  It was sweet and refreshing.

Strawberry and Orange Sangria

Ingredients
2 oranges
1 pint fresh strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 bottle sparkling white wine, chilled
3 cups seltzer water, chilled

Method
1. Cut one orange and strawberries into small pieces and place in a large pitcher.
2. Juice one orange and add the juice to the pitcher.
3. Mix in the wine, seltzer, and sugar.

     In addition to my almost peach pies and the oatmeal cookie crumbs, I had several different ice cream toppings in pretty bowls ready for ice cream sundaes.  The toppings I included were mini chocolate chips, Heath Bar bits, chopped almonds, chocolate and butterscotch sauce, and of course whipped cream.  Unfortunately my camera is in need of a repaid and I didn't get shots of all of these fun toppings.  I guess we'll have to have another ice cream social again soon!

     By the way, our book club is currently working through The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls.  Choosing our next book is always a challenge!  If anyone has read something great recently, all recommendations are welcome.  Just leave a comment below and I'll keep you updated on what we pick next.

Szechwan Eggplant and Tofu

     A few weeks ago I had a surprise package on my front stoop.  It was The Moosewood Cookbook, a gift from my best bud Heather.  Heather and I have been friends since elementary school.  We had nearly every class together in high school and have been best friends ever since.   Heather has been around the world since college but we have managed to remain close.  She's the kind of friend I won't see for years but the minute we are back in the same room, it's like we were never apart.  So Heather and her boyfriend Justin, aka Bean, have been loyally following my blog and trying out the recipes I post.  The day I received the gift from Heather, it totally made my day.  I love browsing new cookbooks and tagging pages with recipes I want to try.  I literally would have to tag everything in this book and an added bonus is the super cute hand drawn illustration.  Thanks to Heather for thinking of me and sending me some love all the way from California!

Here is my first attempt at a recipe from The Moosewood Cookbook.

Szechwan Eggplant and Tofu

Ingredients
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup Mirin (or dry sherry)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 large eggplant, cut into strips
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1/4 tsp black pepper
cayenne pepper. to taste
1 package of extra firm tofu, cut into strips
8 scallions, cut into strips

Method
1. Combine soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and vinegar in a liquid measuring cup.  Add water to make 1 cup of liquid.  Add the cornstarch and whisk everything together and set it aside.
2. Heat a large wok over high heat.  Add peanut oil and the onion and stir fry for one minute.  Add the eggplant and salt and continue to stir fry for 8-10 minutes.  The eggplant should be soft.
3. Add the garlic , ginger, black pepper, and cayenne pepper and cook for a few more minutes.
4. Add the tofu and scallions.  Whisk the liquid set aside from step one and add that to the wok as well.  Mix everything together and stir fry for a few more minutes.  The sauce should become thick.
5. Remove from heat.

You can serve this dish on it's own or over rice.

Heather and I together in California last summer.