I have a large pantry and have more spices and ingredientsnthan most people. I was going to make a Sichuan type of eggplant dish and when it came time to do the recipe I realized that I didn’t even have half of the ingredients…….So I made my substitutions and some things I cut out and some things I added and I wound up with something delicious but not authentic. Serving size is difficult to judge…My guess is that you will get between 2-4 servings depending if you want a side serving or if you want to make this into a full meal.

Ingredients for around 3 servings

1 eggplant – cut in half long ways and scored one the top in diamond shapes

2 teaspoon red chili oil

2 oz gochujang

1 Tablespoon black bean paste

2 Tablespoons Shaoxing wine

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 teaspoons sugar

non stick spray

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds (for finishing)

1-2 scallions – cut thin diagonal (for finishing)

Directions

In a small mixing bowl mix together the oil, gochujang, black bean paste, Shaoxing wine, red wine vinegar, and sugar. Mix well. All this to a gallon Ziplock bag and place eggplant halves that have been scored cut side down win the bag. Leave this sit out on the counter for around 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spray a baking sheet with non stock spray.

After 30 minutes place the eggplant halves cut side down on the baking sheet but reserve the liquid in the bag and put the bag to thee side.

The eggplants on the baking sheet go on a middle rack for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes the eggplant halves need to be turned to cut side up. Now pour reserved liquid over and into the eggplant halves. Put back in the oven till caramelized. (around 30 minutes)

Finish with sesame seeds and scallions.

Enjoy!

This recipe is by Great British Chefs dot com (I rounded some ingredients slightly). It’s called Charred Green Beans with Sauté Potatoes, Chermoula, and Fried Almonds. I didn’t call it Charred Green Beans because my green beans were kind of hallow (maybe old?) so when I took mine to char they got all soggy. This recipe is tasty and is a more epicurean version of green beans almandine. Here you fry up the almonds in oil and use the infused almond oil to fry up the potatoes and then fry up the green beans. To make things more interesting you toss the green beans in chermoula (a Moroccan pesto made with preserved lemon). Serving size is difficult to judge. For me this makes a little more than 4 side servings. You will also have extra chermoula leftover that would taste amazing in a tuna salad or on top of grilled fish.

Ingredients for around 5 servings

1 cup almonds

3 Tablespoons olive oil

pinch sea salt

pinch sugar

2 potatoes – peeled (original recipe suggest a dice cut but I cut mine into long thin fry shapes ….do whatever. you want)

flaky sea salt

black pepper

1 lb green beans – trimmed

3 Tablespoons chermoula

1 cup cilantro chopped

1/2 cup parsley leaves chopped

2 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1 preserved lemon (just the rind scrape out the segments and white from rind as much as you can) – chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 lemon – just the fresh squeezed juice

Directions

Make chermoula and set to the side. In a large bowl combine the cilantro, parsley, garlic, preserved lemon, oil, salt, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and lemon juice. Set to the side

Fry up the almonds. Put the oil in a fry pan on medium high heat. Fry up the almonds till they turn light brown. Remove almonds without removing the oil and drain on towel lined pan. Sprinkle the almonds with sugar and salt and seed to the side.

Fry the potatoes till they are golden brown. Drain and then season with salt and pepper and set to the side.

Fry up the green beans to desired wrinkle…..Drain green beans when done. Add the green beans to the big bowl with the potatoes and chermoula and toss. Top with the almonds and serve and enjoy!

A special THANKS!!!!!!! To Greet British Chefs so I could come up with these amazing green beans!

Shu Han Lee is a very high end food blogger, food writer, and food stylist. She has worked with Jamie Oliver and has written for magazines. It wasn’t really my intention to change her recipe but I didn’t have the more flavorful Hatcho miso in my pantry that I need for her recipe. I used regular white miso instead and bumped up the miso by adding a splash of yuzu hot sauce. I also cooked it only slightly differently like the way I cook certain Mediterranean eggplant recipes. What I wound up with turned out FORKING SCRUMPTIOUS. Serving size is always difficult to judge. I used one regular medium sized eggplant. My guesstimate is that you would eat a quarter of the eggplant so I’m guessing 4 small side servings.

Ingredients for around 4 smaller side servings

1 eggplant – cut in half long ways – score tops in diamond shapes

1 heaping Tablespoon white miso paste

1 Tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon (or to taste) yuzu hot sauce (I used Trader Joe’s Brand….it’s more yuzu tasting than hot)

5 Tablespoons hot water

non stick spray

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds (to finish)

1 (or 2) scallion – diagonal cuts (to finish)

Directions

In a small mixing bowl mix together the miso, honey, oil, yuzu hot sauce, and hot water. Place the halved and scored eggplants and the mixing bowl liquid in a gallon Ziplock bag. Make sure the eggplant is cut side down in the bag so it can absorb liquid. Leave it on the counter for at least 30 minutes.

Set oven to 400 degrees F

Spray a baking sheet with non stick spray.

Take the eggplants out of the ziplock bag but keep the unabsorbed liquid to the side.

Place thee eggplants cut side down on baking sheet and let them cook for 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes turn thee eggplants over (cut side up) and pour extra reserved liquid over and into the eggplant halves. Leave them in the oven till they look slightly caramelized. Top them with sesame seeds and scallions.

Enjoy!

A Special THANKS!!!! To Shu Han Lee for sharing her amazing recipe so that I could come up with what I got here!