Caramelized Eggplant and Tofu, Sweet Potato and Coconut Milk Soup, Edamame, "Watermelon" Limes

Dinner 6/3

Caramelized Eggplant and Tofu
(recipe below)

Sweet Potato and Coconut Milk Soup

Edamame

Dessert

"Watermelon" Limes


The dessert was made by our daughter -- from the American Girl "Tiny Treats" cookbook. Actually, they're pretty clever -- agar thickened vegan jello mixed with chocolate chip "seeds"


here's the Eggplant and Tofu recipe. Adapted from the "Little Saigon" Cookbook


1. Wash, pat dry and peel the 2 large Asian eggplants (or two smaller globe eggplants). Cut them into 1 1/2" cubes. Place the cubes in a colander and sprinkle with 3 tbs. of salt. Let stand for 20-30 minutes.

2. Rinse the salt off the eggplant cubes and pat dry. Place the cubes in a medium bowl and sprinkle with 1 tbs. of sugar.

3. Cut the package of firm tofu into large cubes. Stir-fry the tofu in a wok until golden and set aside. If you put the tofu in uncooked, it'll fall apart easier, but it'll probably work either way.

4. In a saucepan, heat 3 tbs. of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the sugared eggplant and stir occasionally as the sugar cooks and begins to brown. Add one large sliced onion, four cloves of minced garlic, two anise seed pods and a pinch of salt to the eggplant. Saute for another five minutes or until browned.

5. Add the fried tofu, 1/4 cup of light soy or tamari (in place of the fish sauce), 1/2 (or more) of a finely diced thai bird chile (if you like the heat), 3/4 cup of young coconut water (leftover from Raw Food Wednesday) and 1 tsp. of black pepper. Blend all together and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the wok, and let cook for one hour, or until the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce.

6. Garnish with Thai basil and serve with steamed rice.

Tags: watermelon, lime, coconut milk, sweet potato, eggplant, tofu, jasmine rice, recipe, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666