Every time I look into my refrigerator I seem to always have tofu and chicken breast stocked. I do not know if I subconsciously buy some every time I walk into Trader Joe’s or if we just never use both ingredients in my household, but I am going to go with the latter argument (sorry for sounding so legal right there, I have been watching a lot of The Good Wife). While I personally enjoy eating tofu almost every day, the rest of my family seems to not share the same taste as me. Because of my tendency to buy copious amounts of tofu and have it sit in my fridge, it starts to pile up. In addition to this, my dad and brother are not the biggest fans of chicken. Thus, I have a problem. I have ingredients that can go to waste if I do not use them in a timely fashion, but they are also the ingredients that I seem to only enjoy. Therefore, I am faced with the challenge of having to come up with a dish that “hides” these ingredients but will still be a huge hit at dinner.
At the current moment, my garden is overflowing with eggplants. I have the normal eggplants that you might see in your local grocery store as well as the long Japanese eggplants that would work perfectly for the dish that I am about to share with you. By using the chicken, tofu, and eggplants, my three main ingredients, I knew that I could throw together some sort of stir fry that would not only fill everyone up, but would also be super healthy as well. It is jam packed with protein and full of flavor. The best part, is that my stir fry sauce is homemade, so there is no having to worry about the unwanted ingredients in the pre-made stuff that you can find in the Asian section of your grocery store. The recipe is as follows!
Szechwan Eggplant, Tofu and Chicken Stir Fry
1 pound chicken breast
1/2 block of tofu, cubed
5 Asian eggplants, about 2 pounds
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced on a diagonal
1 -inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh red chile, sliced or a nice little pinch full of dried Korean red chili pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Thai holy basil and fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Cut the eggplants in 1/2 lengthwise and then slice crosswise into wedges, no more than 1-inch wide.
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high flame and add the oils; tilt the pan to coat all sides. When you see a slight smoke, add a layer of eggplant, stir-fry until seared and sticky, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the eggplant to a side platter and cook the remaining eggplant in same manner, adding more oil, if needed.
Once the eggplant out of the pan, add more sesame oil if needed and cook the chicken breast until just cooked through.
After all the eggplant and chicken is out of the pan, add the green onions, ginger, garlic, and chile; stir-fry for a minute until fragrant. Add the broth. In a small bowl, mix the tamarin, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the wok and cook another minute, until the sauce has thickened. Put the eggplant and chicken back in the pan along with the tofu, tossing quickly, until the sauce is absorbed. Garnish with sesame seeds, Thai basil, and cilantro and serve.
I served this with a side of rice and sriracha! It was a total hit at dinner and I even had left overs that my father took to work the next day! I used tamarin instead of soy sauce to make it gluten free, but if you do not have access to tamari go ahead and use soy sauce! I hope you enjoy this recipe! Now get chopping and enjoy 🙂
xoxo Sarah