"Meatless Monday" Recipe of the Week - Roasted Eggplant Donburi

This week's Meatless Monday recipe is Roasted Eggplant Donburi. It's off the PBS/Recipe site which has recipes for all Courses, Cuisines, Occasions, or Themes. Check it out today!     http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/


Roasted Eggplant Donburi

Mimic the textures and flavors of unagi using eggplant, seaweed and kabayaki sauce for a vegan alternative to eel.


Ingredients
14 ounces (400 grams) Japanese eggplant

2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sake
1 full sheet nori
cooked brown rice


Directions
1 - Wash the eggplant, and poke a few holes in it with a fork to keep it from exploding. To get the skin off, you need to roast it at a high temperature (like you would a bell pepper). You can either do this in a broiler with the rack in the top position, turning the eggplant every few minutes until the skin is charred, or you can grill the eggplant, turning every few minutes.
2 - Once the eggplant is cooked through and the skin is charred, remove it from the oven/grill and let it cool until you can handle it.
3 - While you're waiting for it to cool, make the kabayaki sauce by putting the evaporated cane juice, soy sauce, mirin and sake in a pot and boiling over high heat until the mixture forms large shiny bubbles. Be careful not to let this boil over. Turn off the heat and set aside.
4 - Peel the skin of the eggplant, starting from the tip and peeling towards the stem. Cut the stem off.
5 - If you feel around the peeled eggplant, you should find a section where your finger will easily slips inside. Split the eggplant by running your finger up and down the length of the eggplant and splay it out flat. If there are any visible clusters of seeds, carefully remove them with a paring knife, but don't worry about getting them all or you won't have anything left to eat.
6 - Place the filleted eggplant between a few layers of paper towels and gently press to remove any excess water.
7 - Trim the nori to fit onto each piece of eggplant and stick to the the seed side of the eggplant.
8 - Flip the eggplant over and baste with a generous coat of kabayaki sauce.
9 - Fill four bowls with cooked rice and drizzle the remaining sauce onto the rice. Lay an eggplant on each bowl of rice and serve.

http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/roasted-eggplant-donburi/

"Meatless Monday" Recipe of the Week - Pan-Fried Tofu

It's Monday and time for this week's "Meatless Monday" Recipe of the Week, which is Pan-Fried Tofu. It's from one of my favorite sites, the PBS website. They have an endless amount of recipes of all eating styles and cuisines, check it out soon!    http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/


Pan-Fried Tofu

Ingredients
1 package medium firm tofu

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon black vinegar (or balsamic)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sake
1 scallion, chopped
chopped scallions or chives for garnish


Directions
1 - Slice the tofu into 1/2-inch thick cutlets. Leave the tofu on the cutting board and sprinkle both sides of each piece with the salt.
2 - Place a casserole dish with a flat bottom on top of the tofu and then stick something under one side of the cutting board to prop it up so that the liquid pressed out of the tofu can run down to the lower end of the cutting board (you may want to do this in your sink so you don't make a mess on your counter). Leave this for 15 minutes.
3 - Dry the tofu off with paper towels and then dust each piece with flour.
4 - Heat a frying pan over medium heat until hot and then add the sesame oil. Swirl to coat the pan and then add the coated tofu.
5 - Adjust the heat down to prevent the oil from smoking and fry undisturbed on one side until you start seeing the edges of the tofu browning (about 6 minutes).
6 - Flip the tofu over and fry until the second side is browned (about another 6 minutes).
7 - Arrange the tofu onto a serving platter. Turn the heat off and wipe out any extra oil from the pan using paper towels and tongs.
8 - Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and sake to the pan and boil the mixture over high heat until it forms a thick glossy glaze.
9 - Drizzle the glaze over the top of the plated tofu and then garnish with scallions

http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/pan-fried-tofu/

Steamed Fish on Rice

Here's an excellent Fish and Rice Dish from the CooksRecipes, Steamed Fish on Rice. If your looking for any type of recipe, just check out the CooksRecipes website!   http://www.cooksrecipes.com/index.html 

* The recipe calls for Halibut but you could also use Sea Bass, Tilapia, or Flounder.


Steamed Fish on Rice

Recipe Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds fresh halibut fillets or steaks
1 (2-inch) piece fresh gingerroot, julienned
3 green onions, julienned
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 tablespoons rice wine (Sake)
2 cups cooked rice
1 lemon for garnish
Green onions strips for garnish

Cooking Directions:

1 - Place fillets in a shallow dish, cover with green onion and ginger. Combine liquid ingredients and pour over fish. Marinate fish for 10 minutes.
2 - To Steam Fish: Use a bamboo or metal steamer. Set steamer rack over boiling water. Water should not touch the rack. Place fillets on a plate and set on the rack. Pour remaining marinade over fish, cover and steam 10 minutes per inch thickness of fish. (No need to turn fish during cooking.) Fish is done when flesh turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
3 - Before serving, pack 1/2 cup measure with cooked rice and turn out on individual dinner plates. Gently flatten the mound with the back of a spoon to form a round pillow shape.
4 - Serve the steamed fish on the rice pillows, pour hot marinade liquid over each fillet. Garnish with a slice of lemon and green onion strips.
Makes 4 servings.

http://www.cooksrecipes.com/seafood/steamed_fish_on_rice_recipe.html