Spicy Asian Eggplant

August 17th, 2010

Sauce:

3 tbsp. light soy sauce
3 tsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp cornstarch
3 tsp. maple syrup or organic sugar
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. organic tomato puree
1 tsp. ground coriander or 5-spice powder
Ground black pepper to taste

Vegetables:

1 tbsp. sunflower oil
3 Asian eggplants, cut crosswise into 2 inch lengths and quartered
1 onion chopped into bite size pieces
1 hot pepper of your choice finely minced (or 1 tsp. chili paste/Sanbal)
2 tsp. garlic minced
2 tsp. ginger minced
1 large green or red or “whatever color you have “ Sweet Pepper, chopped
1 small can of water chestnuts (sliced thin)
½ cup of chopped fresh basil leaves

To prepare the sauce, mix in a bowl the cornstarch, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, tomatoes puree and spices until well blended and set aside.

Heat a wok or deep-dish fry pan over high heat with the oil. Stir fry the onion, hot pepper, garlic and ginger till fragrant. Add eggplant, onion and sweet pepper and cook for about three minutes or until done. Stir in the water chestnuts and the sauce and stir till it thickens (about 1 minute). Serve on a warm platter and sprinkle with basil leaves.

French Peach Cake

August 2nd, 2010

2 cups peeled & sliced Ontario peaches
2/3 cup sugar
Grated rind & juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. flour
4 tbsp. melted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp.salt
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp. melted butter
¼ cup milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Grease the bottom of a glass pie dish (with deep sides) with butter. Place the slices peaches on the bottom evenly. Sprinkle the fruit with the sugar and lemon. Dredge with the flour and pour the melted butter on top.

To prepare the batter, mix together in a bowl the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, beat together the egg yolks butter and milk. Add it to the dry ingredients and mix very well. Add a bit more milk if it is too thick.

Place batter on top of peaches and spread evenly with a spatula.

Bake the cake for about 30 minutes. Serve from pie plate or reverse on a plate and cool slightly. Serve warm or room temperature. Goes well with vanilla ice cream, creme anglaise or whipping cream too.