Chinese Eggplant Vegetable Stir Fry

This dish is delicious and healthy and very filling! This was one of the dishes where I just wanted to use up all my vegetables and I took a little home sauce inventory which is what inspired the use of Chinese sauces, I have many. I love eggplant and its meaty taste when stir fried in Chinese dishes. I recommend not adding any more vegetable types and possibly removing the carrots because the eggplant, squash and green beans all have similar texture and they absorb the sauces equally. Carrots are a bit trickier and they really just add texture to this dish but it would taste equally, if not more, fantastic without the carrots. I have a tendency to be overly generous with garlic; here it does not seem to matter and the more the merrier!  I used the leftovers the following day in a salad of red cabbage and corn and it tasted surprisingly great. This is a nice dish to eat alone or serve over brown rice. Also, I have to credit to my boyfriend, the Taste Tester, for taking this picture! And my roommate, Celadon! It was Celadon's idea to start taking photos on a little black table that is directly under a light in our living room and the Taste Tester has found a new found skill that he has in crouching down and making the camera and food work together! The candied ginger in the recipe was the Taste Tester's idea and it definitely adds a whole lot to the dish! It really adds a lovely surprise to every bite; ginger and garlic are an unexpected good match.

Chinese Eggplant Vegetable Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

2 yellow squash

4 whole carrots

1 handful candied ginger

For marinade:

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

5 teaspoons Sezchuan sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
1. In a small bowl mix together all the ingredients for the marinade with a fork, set aside.
2. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, cut all the vegetables into cubes, flash boil for 1-2 minutes then drain.
3. In a wok over medium high heat, stir fry the candied ginger with some olive oil for a few minutes until it is fragrant.
4. Add the vegetables to the wok and pour the marinade on top, using a wooden spatula mix the vegetables around so they are evenly coated with the marinade. Saute for a few minutes and serve immediately. Enjoy!