Greek-Inspired Feast

Well, hi, friends!  It's been too long!

I'm back for a surprise appearance!

So, at my parents' house, we have a garden.  It's been very warm and rainy here in MD, and therefore the garden has just exploded with growth!  That, coupled with working at an organic market and two Costco memberships in the house, means we sometimes have an over-abundance of produce that needs to be cooked.

I cannot emphasize enough, though, the growth in the garden.  Oregano, basil, thyme, mint, cilantro, parsley, dill, kale, chard, squash, peppers, tomatoes, green beans...it's ridiculous.  Oh, and there's a cucumber plant in there somewhere, but I'm afraid the squash is gonna choke it out.

I had to cut out at least half of our thyme and oregano that were taking over the garden.

Who needs coat hooks?  Those are for herb drying!

Some of the massive amounts of Swiss chard that are springing forth.

So, the following is what I'm preparing right now in order to get rid of some of what we have laying around!

Keftedes-Inspired Burgers
1 pound 20/80 ground beef
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
3 T. finely chopped mint
3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1 egg
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
Salt & pepper

Preheat your grill to medium-high or high heat.

Mix together ingredients in a small bowl.  Allow to sit for at least one hour in the fridge.

Form into four equal-sized patties and grill over high heat for about 5 minutes on each side  (for a well-done burger).

Marinated Portabella Mushroom Caps
3 large portabella caps, washed and dried
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 T. olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
2 T. finely chopped fresh oregano

Toss ingredients into a ziploc bag and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.  Shake it around every now and then to redistribute.

Grill over high heat for about 4 minutes on each side, or until charred and tender.

Mediterranean Sauteed Greens and Beans

2 T. olive oil
1-2 bunches of Swiss chard, chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 15-oz can of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
A handful of cherry tomatoes
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Toss in chopped chard stems and cherry tomatoes.  Allow to cook until the tomatoes are tender and squishy.

Toss in your chopped chard.  It will look like a lot, but trust me, it cooks down.

Once the greens have cooked down, add the white wine, beans, lemon zest, lemon juice, and garlic cloves.  Allow to simmer, cooking off the liquid.

Before serving, season with salt and pepper and allow to cook a bit more.  Taste and serve!

Greek-Style Zucchini
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 pounds zucchini/summer squash, sliced into 1/2 inch think pieces (if large, quarter them, if medium, half them)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red onion, sliced
Zest of 1/2 a lemon, juice of a whole lemon
Salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh oregano

Heat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add in your sliced onion and cook until tender.

Add in the garlic and zucchini.  Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, until the zucchini begins to soften.

Now add in 2/3 of your oregano and the lemon zest and juice.  Stir to combine.

If you are impatient like me for the zucchini to cook through, you can place a lid over the top so the squash cooks faster.  Make sure it's not too liquidy by leaving a gap.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve, sprinkling with the remaining oregano.

Serve everything with a healthy sprinkling of feta cheese!

Who ever said low carb and gluten free had to be boring?

Vegetarian Moussaka

Moussaka is essentially the Greek lasagna--there are thousands of recipes for it, and everyone says theirs is the right one.  I learned recently that the "traditional" topping may not be a bechamel sauce, but a yogurt mixture, which sounded great to me!  So I decided to try it out!  I actually prefer the flavor to the bechamel, and it feels a bit more, I don't know, nutritious.

I love moussaka, and my mom requested it this week, but I wasn't feeling a heavy meat-filled meal.  So, we did a vegetarian version with lentils, which came out delightfully!  Even better the next day!

Ingredients:

500 grams eggplant, thinly sliced (about one LARGE eggplant, or two small ones/2 lb.)
250 grams zucchini, thinly sliced (about two medium/1 lb. zucchini)
250 grams Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced (about 2 medium/1 lb. potatoes)
2-3 T. olive oil

Filling:
1 cup cooked lentils
2 carrots, diced
2 stalk of celery, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 T. cider vinegar
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. gluten-free soy sauce
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground allspice
1/2 t. fennel seeds
14 oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes
Salt & pepper to taste

About 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Topping:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
Pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon
1 t. fresh thyme leaves
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Toss your eggplant and zucchini slices in a large bowl with some salt.  Allow to sit and sweat out their water for at least 30 minutes.  Rinse and pat dry on a few layers of paper towels.

Toss eggplant, potatoes, and zucchini in olive oil until lightly coated.  Preheat your broiler and place a rack on the highest slot.  Spread the vegetables over a few foil-lined cookie sheets, in single layers, and broil for 5-10 minutes, until lightly browned on top and tender.  Set aside and allow to cool.

Now preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large, lidded skillet, heat 1 T. oil over medium heat.  Saute onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until cooked through and lightly browned.  Add in your spices and allow them to "bloom" (i.e. until you can REALLY smell them), about 2 minutes.  Toss in the lentils, vinegar, sauces, and tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, and partially cover the pan.  Cook until the liquid is reduced and the mixture is thick and pasty (30 min. to an hour).  Taste and correct seasonings to your liking.

Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 inch glass/ceramic baking pan.

Arrange 1/3 of your vegetables in the bottom of the pan in the order of:  eggplant, potatoes, zucchini.  Spread half of the lentil filling mixture over this, and top with half of the feta.  Repeat.  Then, for the last layer, reverse the vegetable order (zucchini, potatoes, eggplant) and you are done assembling!    Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.

While that's baking, in a food processor, combine the topping ingredients until smooth.  Once the first bake is finished, remove the moussaka from the oven and remove the foil.  Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.  Spread the yogurt mixture over the top of the dish and place back in the oven, uncovered.  Bake for 30 minutes more, until the top is lightly browned and the sides are bubbling.

Enjoy alone, or with a lovely Greek salad!

St. Paddy's Day Feast!!

Annnnd we're back!

I am back in the States, awaiting my husband, bird, and all our stuff to join me!  Things are going swimmingly, and I'm on the search for a job.  I have an interview today, so...fingers crossed!

I don't have a camera at the moment, so I'll just be posting written recipes for now.  I'll update with pictures once I have the big fancy camera back!

It's that time of year again--St. Paddy's Day (yes, it's with D's, not T's)!  Being VERY Irish in my heritage, and always looking for an excuse to enjoy some alcoholic beverages, I love this holiday, even if it is kitschy and very Americanized.  I've been in Ireland on this day--it's no small thing over there, either.

This year's meal is very stereotypical, but I promise next year I'll try to find some varied recipes.  It was my first time making Colcannon, though, and I love it!  A nice spin on your usual mashed taters.

Irish stew, btw, is very open to interpretation.  Add or subtract anywhere you like, so long as it keeps meat, onion/leek, carrot, and potato.

Irish Lamb Stew

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil
3-5 lbs. of boneless lamb meat (or lamb shanks, if you want bones) -- depending on how much stew you want, how many people, etc.
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, washed and thinly sliced
1/4 cup rice flour
8 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 14 oz. cans beef broth
2 bottles of beer of your choice (we had to use New Grist, but you should use a stout--best results!)
3-4 T. tomato paste
1.5 T. Worcestershire sauce
Bouquet Garni -- 4 sprigs rosemary, 6 sprigs thyme, 3 bay leaves
6 carrots, sliced
1 lb. new/fingerling potatoes, quartered
Salt & pepper to taste
1-2 T. sugar/honey/whatever
1/3 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add in the meat and brown on all sides in batches.  Set aside and reserve.

Toss in the leeks and garlic and cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until tender.  Add the lamb meat back in, along with any juices, and dust with the flour.  Toss to coat.

Add the beef broth, beer, tomato paste, Worcestershire, and the bouquet garni.  Make sure to scrape all the browned bits off the bottom!  Stir together, bring to a simmer, and turn heat to low.  Cook for 1 hour.

Add in the carrots, potatoes, salt & pepper, and sugar.  Cook for another hour (or all afternoon!) over very low heat, but still simmering.  Allow the liquid to cook down until it resembles a gravy.  (I let mine go all day).  Taste for seasoning about 30 minutes before serving, and remove the bouquet garni.

Serve alone, over potatoes, or with a nice slice of soda bread!

NOTE:  You could EASILY, after cooking up the leeks/garlic and browning the meat, toss all of this in a slow-cooker and just let it go on low for 8-10 hours.

Colcannon

Ingredients:

1 pound 8 oz. starchy potatoes (I used Yukon Golds), quartered (peel if you want; I leave the peel)
1/2 stick/4 T. unsalted butter
6 oz. curly kale (about a whole bunch, once destemmed)
1 bunch scallions, roughly chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
More chopped scallions for garnish

Instructions:

Bring a medium pot of salted water to boil over high heat.  Add in the potatoes and cook until easily pierced with a fork, about 20-25 minutes.  Drain and reserve.

In the same pot, boil more salted water.  Add the kale and cook for 2-3 minutes, until bright green and tender.  Drain and place in a food processor with the scallions, and pulse a few times, until nicely diced.

Mash the potatoes with a masher, adding in the butter.  Once at a consistency you like, add in the processed kale/scallions, stirring until well-combined.  Season with salt and pepper.  Enjoy!



I'll post my GF soda bread recipe tomorrow!

Vegan Mondays: Baingan Bharta (Eggplant Curry)

So in the wake of going gluten-free, it seems that my lactose intolerance (which I've known about forever, but been able to mostly ignore) is also beginning to flair up.  Which is common once one goes gluten-free with Celiac/intolerance--your digestive system can now process things the right way again, so any intolerance you already had before gets worse!

It is with sad news that I announce that I must (mostly) break up with cheese.

Which leads us into today's recipe!

I *may* have posted this recipe before, but I am making it again and it may be a tad different.  So oh well!  Enjoy it again!

I have combined two recipes to make this.  From here and here.   They are not horribly different, except for their spice amounts.

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced (or use canned, like I did...maybe a 14-oz. can of diced tomatoes)
1 T. cumin seeds
1 t. ground turmeric
1 t. ground coriander
1 t. garam masala
1/2 t. red pepper flakes/powder
1/2 t. ground fenugreek
1/2 t. mustard powder (I didn't have this, so I used some mustard in the fridge)
1 large eggplant, or 2 medium, cubed
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and bell pepper, and saute until cooked-through.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.  Toss in your spices and allow the scent to bloom.  Add the tomatoes, and allow this to cook for about 10 minutes.

Add in the eggplant and place a lid on top.  Turn the heat down and allow this all to cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until the eggplant is tender and the flavors have blended.  Lastly, taste for salt and season to taste.

 (I was bad about taking pictures as I was in a huge hurry.)

Serve plain, over rice, or with naan.  Enjoy!

"Satay" Pork Stir-Fry

I'm calling this a satay stir-fry because that was the flavor it most reminded me of.  I made this up (minus the marinade recipe, which I found here), and just kind of threw together what I had in the fridge.  You can add and subtract veggies as you have them.  I think the following would also be good in the stir-fry:  tofu, snap peas, greens, green beans, eggplant, zucchini, chicken, beef, green pepper, bamboo shoots, etc.

Play with it and enjoy!

Ingredients:

1-2 lb. pork tenderloin

Marinade:
2 T. hoisin sauce**
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. honey
2 T. green onions, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Stir-Fry:
The pork tenderloin, marinated, sliced into small, thin strips
3 T. oil, such as canola or peanut
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-inch knob of ginger, minced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 head of broccoli florets, cut in equal-sized pieces

Sauce:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce**
1 T. peanut butter
1-2 T. honey
1-2 T. soy sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1/2 cup water

1 T. starch mixed with 1 T. water

Instructions:

Mix together your marinade and pour it over your pork tenderloin.  Marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

Stir together the sauce ingredients and set aside.  You may want to heat it to get the peanut butter to combine well with the other liquids.  Taste and adjust to your liking.

Get out a wok and heat your oil in it over high heat, until the oil is shimmering and nearly smoking.

Add in the garlic and ginger.  Stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add in the pork and stir-fry until browned, about 2 minutes.

Add the vegetables.  Stir-fry for up to 5 minutes, until they are vibrant and slightly tender.

Add the sauce mixture.  Allow to come to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes more, or until everything is cooked through.

Add the starch mixture and allow to simmer until the sauce reaches a thickness you like.

Serve alone, or over rice!

I apologize for my lack of real pictures.  I didn't know it was going to be good until it was done :P.

You could easily make this vegetarian/vegan by substituting tofu for the pork.  Also, I think this would work with beef and chicken!

** If you need a good source for a GF hoisin sauce recipe, I used this one.

Spicy Tequila-Lime Shredded Beef

So.  Exciting news.

I haven't been posting this week because I have been very busy.

We're moving back to the States in three weeks!!!

Needless to say, we have a lot to keep us busy for a while.  So I apologize for sporadic posts.

It also means I have to use up pretty much everything in my pantry, so yay, new recipes!

Last night:  shredded beef tacos. Inspired by Chipotle's barbacoa.  I shall have you again soon, sweet, sweet Mexican/Tex-Mex food!  If you think Quebec has decent Tex-Mex...excuse me while I laugh.

Ingredients:

2-3 lb chuck roast
1 onion, thinly sliced
3-4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 T. chili powder
1 t. ancho chili powder
1 T. ground cumin
1 T. epazote (Mexican oregano)
1/2 t. salt
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1/2 t. liquid smoke (optional)
1/3 cup tequila

Instructions:

Toss everything into your slow-cooker.  Stir around.

Cook on high for 6 hours.  Flip over the meat every couple of hours.  About an hour before serving, the meat should be falling apart.  Shred it with two forks.  If the liquid has not evaporated off, remove the lid and let it cook off.

Really.  It's that easy.

Serve in tacos, enchiladas, burritos, whatever!  It's very flavorful, tender, and you can adjust the spice however you want!

Ahhhh, I'm so excited!!!

Vegan Mondays: Ramen

Last weekend, my husband, Charles, came to me and asked if we could start having less meat-centered meals during our weeks.  Sparked by an article he read about human evolution and diet, he concluded that perhaps we should be consuming less animal products.  Combine that with the environmental aspect and cruelty of the meat industry, and we now have our reasons for Vegan Mondays.  (By the way, I was always for this, but you know how dudes can be about their meat.)  This may expand to a few more days of the week later on, but right now, we're trying it out once a week.

If this ramen is any sign of what's to come, we're going to be having many, many more meatless meals.

Forget the ramen you had in high school and college that was ten cents a package and came with a little packet of MSG seasoning.

This is the real stuff. It's man-approved.  I was even asked to make this for the in-laws about five minutes into eating.  And we couldn't believe that it's animal-byproduct-free!

This is a bit of work for a meal, but I think it's so worth it.  It'd also be a GREAT idea to double the broth recipe and have a ramen party where people bring their own little topping.

The original recipe also used smoked shiitake mushrooms and features guidelines for David Chang's Momofuku ramen broth, so if you're interested in that, you'll find it here.

Ingredients:

Shiitake Mushroom Broth

3 quarts (12 cups, or almost 3 liters) of water
3 oz. dried shiitake mushrooms, enough to result in 1 cup of ground mushrooms (these come in tiny bags at my supermarket that are very expensive--I used 3 .5-oz bags and it was enough, so YMMV)
1 sheet Kombu seaweed, rinsed (I could not find this at the supermarket, so I used 3-4 sheets of toasted seaweed sushi wrappers...I have no idea if that was really different)
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
8 whole peppercorns
3 whole cloves
1/4 cup mirin
1/3 cup soy sauce (or more, to taste)
2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, and 1 medium onion, tossed in olive oil and roasted at 425 degrees F until lightly browned (if you have the time)

Toppings
Tofu, cube
Chopped green onion
Bamboo shoots
Roasted cauliflower
Roasted butternut squash
Lightly steamed bok choy (or other sturdy greens)
Bean sprouts
Enoki mushrooms
Roasted/smoked/sauteed shiitake mushrooms
Soy sauce (to top)

Noodles (udon, if you're not eating GF, but for GF people, I suggest soba or shirataki noodles)

Instructions:

Powder up your dried mushrooms in a food processor.

Shiitake!

The dried portobella mushrooms powdered up easier.  (They didn't have enough shiitake bags at the store.)

 Place all broth ingredient in a large stockpot.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove seaweed pieces, then simmer 30 minutes more until reduced by half.

Strain the mixture with cheesecloth, return to the pot, and keep warm.  Once it's time to eat, bring the broth back to a full boil.

Prepare your toppings and noodles.  We tried these low-carb, low-calorie shirataki noodles for the first time.  If you can ignore the smell when they first come out of the bag, they're fantastic!

Serve by placing noodles in a bowl, and toppings in their own bowls around the table so people can add them as they wish.  Pour the broth over everything, once assembled.  (You may need to reheat your bowl if your toppings are cold when you add the broth.)

The set-up!   Note the ubiquitous Sriracha.

Bowl of deliciousness, and a Japanese cucumber salad on the side.

This is an incredible meal, and it gets a 10 on the healthiness scale.  Dig in!

GO BIG OR GO HOME LASAGNA

Who doesn't like lasagna?  This amazing traditional Italian comfort food is adored throughout the world.  The recipe I use tries really hard to be authentic.  Is it?  I dunno.  But it's awesome.

Yes, it takes work, but it's well worth it.  It's big.  It's for, like, a family of 10.  But that's how I make it. It keeps well, freezes well, all that jazz.

I use GF noodles and flour, but this is taken from a non-GF bunch of recipes, so cater it to your own diet.

No, this is not low-fat healthy lasagna.  It is amazing full-fat, full-calorie deliciousness.  Deal with it.  It's fall.  We all need some extra poundage.  Winter is coming (/Ned Stark).

Bolognese Sauce:

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
4 slices of bacon, chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound of ground beef
.5-1 pound of ground pork
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
28 oz (about 4.5 cups) of whole, peeled tomatoes
A handful of basil leaves, chopped (or 1 T. dried basil/basil paste)
1 T. dried oregano (or fresh, if you have it)
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add bacon and cook until crispy.  Add mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot) and saute until soft.

Add garlic and ground meat and cook until meat is mostly cooked through.

Add white wine, stock, and herbs, and bring to a simmer.

Add tomatoes and tomato paste.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, at least.

 I allow mine to go for 5-6 hours over low heat to cook off as much of the liquid as possible.

Bechamel Sauce:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup GF flour
4 cups milk
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt to taste
2 eggs

Instructions:

Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it comes to a simmer (stir this a lot or else your milk will burn).  Set aside once heated.

Heat butter over medium heat until melted and foamy.

Add flour and whisk until the mixture becomes foamy and has a nutty smell to it (like browned butter).

Before.

After.

Add in 1/3 of the milk and whisk until the mixture thickens.  Repeat for the next 2/3 of the milk.  If the mixture no longer thickens, whisk in more GF flour (I had trouble once the last third was mixed in).  Once the mixture is thick, add in the pinch of nutmeg and salt.  Set aside to cool a bit, and then whisk in the 2 eggs (I  do this so that the bechamel "sets"and the lasagna doesn't get too goopy) until well-blended.

Lasagna:


Ingredients:

1 recipe Bolognese Sauce
1 recipe Bechamel Sauce
Pack of 12-15 GF lasagna noodles (mine had 13, of course)
500 g mozzarella cheese, grated (about 3-4 cups grated total)
2 T. dried parsley (or fresh, just use more)

Instructions:

So I took this picture and forgot to take any of the layering ones XD.

Spray a large 9x13 inch (I think that's the size?) casserole dish with olive oil.  Place a ladle-full of the bolognese sauce in the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.  Place a layer of noodles over that, slightly overlapping the edges.  Spread a layer of sauce over them (I put sauce down until I can't see noodle poking through).  Spread half of the bechamel over that.  Take 1/3 of the mozzarella and sprinkle it evenly over the dish.  Sprinkle half the parsley over that.  

You may now choose to either repeat all the layers (noodles included) or skip the noodles. This is to your preference.  I like a middle layer of noodles in my lasagna.  I find that it gives it more structure.

When done, place a final layer of noodles over the top.  Spread a small amount of the sauce over this noodles, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to stand while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, and then remove the foil, add the rest of the mozzarella, and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until the edges are bubbly and the top is browned all over.

It's a bit too brown.  But I like that.

Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes and serve.  With a salad, if you must.

I ate 2 plates of it.  Oh my gooooooood, I am so full.

Also, yes, I know my blog is no longer really low-carb.  I'm trying to think up an awesome new name.  Have patience.

Szechuan Eggplant

From everything I've ever seen, Szechuan means hot.  You are warned.

I had Szechuan eggplant hotpot at a Chinese/Thai/Japanese fusion restaurant in Maryland last spring.  It was delicious, saucy, and spicy (but not spicy enough, no matter how much I tell them to make it HOT).  I HAD to find a recipe for making it at home (especially since going gluten-free), and I did.

This is the basic recipe.  When I have it on my plate, I end up adding more heat with Szechuan peppercorns and more Sriracha.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of ground pork
2 T. soy sauce
Ground black pepper

Sauce:
2 T. sesame oil
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
3 T. chili-garlic paste (usually, I use Sambal Oelek, but I ran out the other day, so I used Sriracha)
1 T. rice wine (I did not have this, and used white wine.  I have also heard gin delivers a very similar flavor.)

1-2 large eggplants, sliced into fat sticks
1-2 bell peppers (red and green), optional
1-inch knob of ginger, sliced into matchsticks
1 T. cornstarch dissolved in 1 T. water
Half a head of garlic, minced

Instructions:

Look how cheap ground pork is!!!!

Place ground pork, 2 T. soy sauce, and black pepper in a small bowl to marinate.  Allow to sit in fridge for at least 1 hour.

Mix together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat.  Add pork mixture, ginger, and garlic.  Stir-fry until browned.

Add in bell peppers and eggplant.  Stir-fry for a few minutes to brown the eggplant.

Throw in the sauce mixture and bring to a simmer.  Turn heat down to medium and allow stir-fry mixture to cook until the eggplant is cooked through, 5-10 minutes.  Stir frequently.

I put a lid over it so the eggplant would cook more evenly.

Add in the cornstarch and water mixture, bring to a boil, and allow the mixture to thicken.

Serve immediately over rice/quinoa, or all alone if you like!  I was so hungry, I didn't take a great picture...but it was delicious!

If you like heat...I suggest investing in some Szechuan peppercorns.  I prefer it with about a teaspoon of them added to the recipe, but a lot of people don't like how hot it gets, so I just add them after.