Chinese Eggplant -- Healthy, Low-fat Recipe

This Chinese eggplant recipe is awesome because it's purple--not purple like a black eye--but purple like Barney the Dinosaur, which is nice.



Choose eggplants that are firm and have a glossy skin. The skin is thin and tasty, and Chinese eggplants have smaller seeds than the black, bowling ball eggplant you might be used to preparing. They're a great ingredient for a stir-fry and can stand in for meat without being as awful as tofu. So give 'em a try.

Ingredients:
3 small CHINESE EGGPLANTS
3-4 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
5 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)
1 inch GINGER (thinly sliced)
2 tsp MUSTARD SEEDS
1 Tbsp ground CORIANDER
1 bunch GREEN ONIONS (chopped)
1 JALEPENO or other hot pepper (sliced)
SALT to taste
-- optional garnishes --
SOY SAUCE or CHILI GARLIC SAUCE

Heat olive oil on medium high heat. When oil is hot, add garlic and ginger. Add mustard seeds and coriander powder and sauté 2 minutes. Add chopped green onion bottoms and reserve the chopped green onion tops for later. Add hot pepper and continue sautéing for a couple minutes. Add sliced eggplant (with skin). Choose eggplants that are firm, glossy skinned, and heavy for their size. Slice into rounds no more than 1/4 inch thick. Add salt and stir eggplant. Stir for a few minutes. Add water as needed, but not too much, the eggplant will release water as it cooks. Reduce heat, cover and cook 10-12 minutes, stiring as needed. The eggplant will be ready when it is soft, but not falling apart. Mix in green onion tops and remove from heat. Add soy sauce or chili garlic sauce if desired. Serve as a main dish over pasta or rice (or on it's own as a side dish).
Give this Chinese eggplant recipe a try and let me know what you think, and bon appétit!

Want to try a decadent version of Chinese Eggplant?
Try Chinese Eggplant w/ General Tso's Sauce.

Chinese Eggplant Recipe with Sweet Sauce

Bánh Mì --A Vietnamese Sandwich

What is in a Bánh mì sandwich? Lets take one apart and see what we got.



Best Bánh mì  so far--thanks to eastsidegirl1977 for the great Seattle recommendation. I've been eating a lot of these sandwiches crammed with spicy, fresh ingredients--maybe too many sandwiches--but it's too great a taste and value to pass up.

Bánh mì are a fusion of French and Vietnamese culture. Spicy peppers and daikon mix with cooling carrot and cucumber to create a a real treat for your tongue, and a little BBQ pork added makes it irresistible; wrap it up in a crunchy French baguette and it's heaven.

Basic Bánh mì Ingredients:
Baguette
Sliced Pork
Pickled Daikon
Pickled Carrots
Cucumber
Cilantro
Hot Pepper
Mayonnaise
Black Pepper
Salt (if desired)

What is Bánh tét? Take a look at this Vietnamese rice cake.

Bánh Tét -- Vietnamese Rice Cake

What is Bánh Tét?



Banh tet is a rice cake, and a staple dish served to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Vietnam. It's a very popular dish in Vietnamese culture, and if you live near a Vietnamese market or deli, you'll probably be able to give it a try--and I recommend you do. It's pretty tasty, kind of addictive, and a bargain dish in the International District in Seattle. I've eaten several bánh tét since shooting this video, and I see many more in my future.

Making bánh tét often begins the day before Tét. The ingredients are prepared then cooked for at least six hours in a pot of boiling water. Glutinous rice, mung bean paste, and cooked pork fat are the main ingredients. The ingredients are layered on top of banana leaves and then wrapped tightly together with string. Bánh tét are generally wrapped several times with a string before boiling in a large pot of water to prevent the banana leaf from coming apart during cooking. The cake is savory, but sometimes sweetened, and tastes great with chili sauce.

What is a bánh mi sandwich? Click to see.

Parmesan Pesto Bread Recipe with Mama Redbuck

Mama Redbuck bakes up a delicious Parmesan Pesto Bread Recipe.



Thanks for watching!

Ingredients:
5 ½ cups unbleached BREAD FLOUR
2 cups WARM WATER (approx. 130 degrees F)
2-4Tbsp OLIVE OIL
2 Tbsp SUGAR
½ cup SKIM MILK POWDER
1 Tbsp KOSHER SALT
1 Tbsp INSTANT YEAST
PESTO (approx. 1 cup divided between loaves)
1 cup PARMESAN CHEESE (shredded and divided)
a sprinkle of CORN MEAL

(recipe makes 2 loaves)

Sift 5 ½ cups of unbleached bread flour. Bread flour has a higher gluten count than all-purpose flour; gluten holds in the gases released by the yeast, enabling the bread to rise.
In a bowl, add 2 cups of warm water (approx 130 degrees F). Add 2 Tbsp olive oil, sugar, milk powder, salt, and yeast. Mix well.
1 cup at a time, add the sifted flour into the bowl until the dough thickens. Do not add all of the dough into the bowl. As soon as the dough in the bowl reaches a density forming a sticky ball, remove dough from the bowl and place onto a surface coated with flour. Continue adding the sifted flour to the ball, turning and folding the flour into the dough ball. Continue this kneading process for 8-10 minutes, adding dough as needed (the entire 5 ½ cups may not be needed). Kneading transforms the dough into a more elastic consistency, enabling the gluten in the dough to better trap the gases from the yeast.
After kneading, place the dough into a bowl coated with 1 Tbsp of olive oil. The bowl should be at least twice the size of the dough ball. Cover bowl and set aside for 45-60 minutes to allow the dough to rise. The dough will expand to approx. double in size.
When dough has risen, push a floured fist into the top of the dough—this will release the gas. Remove dough from bowl and divide into equal halves (equal halves will cook equally in the oven).
With a rolling pin, spread one of the dough halves into a square approx. 9 X 14 inches. Spread ½ cup of prepared pesto evenly over the flattened dough. Sprinkle top with ½ cup shredded, parmesan cheese. Roll up the dough and toppings into a 14 inch "burrito" shape, folding and pinching the ends shut. With a sharp knife, cut lengthwise down the center of the rolled bread, creating halves. Cut gingerly, being mindful not crush the layers of dough, and leave one of the very ends attached so as to not separate the halves completely. Fold the bread halves into a braid. Keep the cut sides of dough facing upward.
Coat a loaf pan with olive oil and sprinkle the bottom of the pan with a light dusting of corn meal; this will help keep the bread from sticking to the bottom of the pan as it bakes. Transfer braided bread "face-up" into pan and cover.
Repeat this processes with the other dough half and then set the 2 loaf pans aside for 1 hour to allow them to continue to rise.
After the loaves have risen, place them in an oven pre-heated to 375 degrees F and bake approx. 35-40 minutes.
Remove bread from oven. Parmesan cheese and pesto may be melted to the inside of the pan and you may need to cut around the edges of the pan with a knife. Remove loaves and place on a cooling rack, but don't let the bread cool for too long before cutting off a slice—it's delicious warm.
Give this Parmesan Pesto Bread Recipe a try and let me know what you think, and bon appétit.

Kale -tips for using raw kale in salads

Why eat raw kale salad? Kale is a so-called SUPERfood chock full of big-time nutrition and very fashionable in salad circles, so if you wanna be one of the cool kids, ya gotta eat it. If the Popeye franchise is ever re-booted, I'm sure our vegetable-friendly sailor will be shunning spinach and downing kale by the bunches--not that there's anything wrong with spinach, but at the moment the kale lobby is a juggernaut.
Check out this video for tips on making a raw kale salad:

Kale Nutrition and Fun Facts:
Kale belongs to the same family as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and collards.
Kale is packed with antioxidants, which help neutralize harmful free radicals in the body.
One cup of chopped raw kale provides more than 100% of the daily value of vitamins A, C, and K.
In fact, Kale has more vitamin C than an orange.
Free Radicals are a thing scientists made up to sound smart.
Baked kale becomes crispy and can be substituted for potato chips.
Kale freezes well for future use.
Kale is a great addition to a soup.
Kale is believed to promote cell repair and may block the growth of cancer cells.

Wow...doesn't that sound terrific? Who could pass up on that! Too bad kale doesn't taste like a slice of coconut cream pie, but you can't have everything. It is a tasty addition to a salad, though--and utilizing raw kale will insure the greatest health benefit from this leafy superfood.

Moroccan Chicken Recipe

Chicken stew with olives?  Trust me!--this is super flavorful chicken recipe.  Bill cooked up this wonderful chicken with a delicious, Moroccan twist.
For more recipes, check out the Chef Buck playlist at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2EFBD7E8FE2BB552
And if you're not subscribed to Wildbill1911a1, do yourself a favor and check out his channel https://www.youtube.com/user/wildbill1911a1

And give this dish a go (I loved it)

Moroccan Chicken Recipe

ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs CHICKEN Pieces (skinned)
1 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
1 cup ONION (chopped)
2-3 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)
1 cup CHICKEN BROTH
2 cups pitted WHOLE GREEN OLIVES
1 tsp ground CINNAMON
1/2 tsp CUMIN
1/2 inch GINGER (minced--or substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger)
1-2 tsp LEMON ZEST
1/4 cup LEMON JUICE
1 Tbsp CILANTRO (chopped)
SALT and PEPPER to taste

directions:
Heat olive oil in a pot over high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and then place in pot.  Brown chicken appox. 3 minutes each side and
then remove from pot.  Add onion and garlic and saute in juices for a couple of minutes.  Return chicken to pot and add Chicken Broth.  Add olives.
Add cinnamon, cumin, and ginger.  Stir, and bring pot to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.  After 45 minutes, uncover, turn
chicken, and let cook 15 more minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken and olives from pot and place in a serving dish.  To the broth in the pot, add lemon juice, zest, and cilantro.
Serve the chicken and olives over rice or couscous and top with broth as desired.  The olives are fantastic.  And the chicken is, too.
Bon Appétit!