Easy Aubergine (Eggplant) - Nasu Dengaku with Sautéed Bok Choy and Citrus Dressing

My trip is only a week away!  Buenos Aires is nearly here…or, I'm nearly there?
It is weird, to think I'm going to be in a whole new environment.  New smells, language, customs.  Argentina is well known for it's beef production.  The Spanish conquistadors brought cows to the country in the early 1500' and now Argentina has the worlds 2nd highest consumption of cattle.  Why am I going there, you ask?  Well, the vegan scene is burgeoning rapidly in Buenos Aires, and I want to speak to the people that are making this happen, in what has been predominately a country of meat-heads.  I want to see if the new wave of vegans can make Argentina forgo their massive export revenue and become plant loving, tempeh making exporters instead.  Excited (and optimistic)!

In preparation for my trip I am scrubbing my place from top to bottom, and abstaining from buying any more cupboard staples until I've used up the food I already have.  I was inspired then, to make a Japanese dish when I came across a thin packet of bean curd skin, known as yuba, slipped beneath my silicone chocolate making molds.   I'd sampled and loved yuba whilst in San Fransico last year, made by a Hoodo Soy out of Oakland, so I put it on my list of 'ingredients to try'.  I'd stashed some in my food drawer and promptly forgotten about it.  When a craving hit for aubergine, I decided to have a Japanese night to use up the yuba and try something new.

This is what I made….. It is low fat, gluten free and vegan.

Nasu Dengaku.   It is a very, very simple and tasty dish.  Not much involved with the preparation and the sauce takes about three minutes to prepare and cook.  How easy is that?!
The flavours really took me out of my food rut, which is a blessing.  Writing about food, I have to keep my ideas fresh and be keen to experiment, otherwise there would be no blog!  I made a bok choy sauté with a fresh limey dressing to go with it, the recipe for that is further down.  
This meal is mostly a 'pop in the oven and forget about it..for half an hour' type of affair.  Great for a mid-week meal.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 med aubergines
2 spring/scallion onion
2 Tbs miso (most recipes called for white miso which is sweeter but I only had dark to hand)
8 Tbs mirin
4 tsp sugar (I used zero calorie xylitol, a healthier alternative made from birch sap. Great for diabetics and those wishing to loose weight…it worked better than I expected).
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 Tbs sesame seeds

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.

Method

1. slice the aubergines to 1.5 inch thick (or if you prefer, slice lengthways) and then score the tops with a criss cross pattern, careful not to cut the skin.  Brush with the oil and pop into the oven for 30-35mins until beginning to collapse/soften.

2. meanwhile put the miso, mirin and sugar into a pan and bring to the boil.  Simmer for a minute, until the miso has melted and begins to thicken.

3. when the aubergine is ready, remove from the oven and pour over the hot sauce.  Sprinkle the aubergine steaks with sesame seeds and the chopped spring onion (scallion).  Serve.

If you want to make a vibrant Japanese salad to accompany it (you so do), and see how I faired with the yuba, then read on.

I sat and thought for a while what to do with the bean curd skin. Previously, I'd considered making a wrap out of it, , using it like a tortilla but for some reason, on this day I didn't want that.   I looked around on the internet for inspiration and decided to make like pasta with it.  The product I bought was so different from the subtle yuba I'd had at the Ferry Building.  Mine was extremely salty. I sampled a bit before doing anything with it.  I thought best to roll it up and cut into papadelle size strips then put it in the steaming basket.  This did nothing to disperse the heavily salted taste so I tipped it into the hot water for a few seconds and it much improved it.  But to be honest, I wouldn't use dried yuba again.  So, try it and make up your own mind.  Tell me if you know a better way with it.  

Do read on and make the warm salad.  I promise you it is light and flavoursome.

I had all intentions to make this as a raw salad, and you can too if you like.  But in the end I ate the Nasu Dengaku cold and lightly sautéed the bok choy with some garlic.

Sautéed Bok Choy with lime and orange dressing.

Ingredients 

3 large heads (is that what you'd call them?) of bok chou

Dressing

1 Tbs tamari

1/2 juice of lime plus zest

1 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice

1 Tbs sesame oil (or rapeseed oil if you don't have in store cupboard)

1 tsp xylitol

pinch chili flakes or fresh red chilli if you have some available.

1 minced garlic clove (omit if you are making a raw salad, but use if like me, you sautéing the greens)

Method

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing and serve over the greens for a raw salad.

or

Stir fry the greens for l minute in a little oil with the garlic.  Serve with the Nasu Dengaku, yuba and then drizzle over the citrus dressing.

The layers of flavour combinations are so distinct and fresh, it was a wonderful vacation for my tastebuds.  The thick, almost caramel taste of the aubergine sauce is really complimented by the slightly sharp dressing.  The 'meaty' texture of the yuba and eggplant (aubergine) sop up the flavours like a sponge make for a very interesting but very easy supper.  Sure to be loved by 'meat heads' and veggies alike. 


thanks to Azelias Kitchen for the inspiration


Leave a comment if you like.  I like!

India Leigh xx