Healthy eating doesn’t have to be dull! Here are 14 of my favourite low calorie dinners, all clocking in at 500 calories or less. Nutritious, delicious, interesting and satisfying – no skimping on portion sizes!

January in brief!

January is getting away from me, with a “I’m taking a break!” declaration being somewhat disrupted with work related projects that have come to fruition that need attention. 2024 is looking to be an exciting year! Patience has never been my greatest virtue so I exaggerate not when I say that I am busting to tell you what I’m working on right now but I will get in trouble if I do.😂

So, I’ll probably be a little quieter with new recipes for the remainder on January as I try to catch up on life matters. Tax! Find a home! Weeding!

But I wanted to check in and I thought I’d leave you with some of my personal favourite “healthy” recipes (New Years’ resolution and all that). What “healthy” actual means is debatable but for me, it’s recipes that are lower in calories, lower in fat, nutritious and balanced which usually also means lower carb. But, still delicious – of course. And filling. Anybody can cut calories with tiny portions. But it’s miserable.

My 10 14 favourite low-calorie meals

The order is not indicative of preference! I love them all – though you’ll be able to tell which ones I have an extra soft spot for. 😅

1. Fish tacos

410 calories for THREE tacos! Lime chipotle marinated fish pan-seared, flaked into chunks then stuffed into tortillas with lightly pickled red cabbage and my pink taco sauce. You will not missed deep fried! (But when you do, Baja Fish Tacos are in my cookbook.😇)

2. Hot and sour soup

I could eat this soup every single day.* It’s 100% me – big, bold, spicy flavours! Tofu, shiitake mushrooms, shredded chicken in a slightly thickened spicy-sour soup. 216 calories for a big bowl!

* I say this a few times in this recipe list. 😅 I mean it!

3. Moroccan stuffed eggplant

Oven-roasted eggplant halves topped with Moroccan spiced lamb or beef. 450 calories for two eggplant halves. BIG flavours, very satisfying!

4. Slow-cooker Mexican Chicken Soup

Throw everything into a slow cooker and come home to a hearty soup filled with Mexican flavours that happens to be healthy! 352 calories for a big, cosy bowl.

5. Crunchy Chinese chicken noodle salad

Asian slaw with shredded chicken and crunchy noodles tossed in a fabulous Asian dressing. 100% munch-worthy and lunch-worthy! Great meal-prep – just keep the noodles and dressing separate (chopped veg and chicken will last for days in the fridge).

6. Indian Eggplant Curry (brinjal)

Not for the faint-hearted!!! A very intense flavoured curry sauce with roasted rather than deep-fried eggplant pieces, this is a low-calorie hidden gem with just 250 calories per serving. Serve over basmati rice (200 calories for 1 cup) or cauliflower rice for a super low-cal option at just 35 calories per serving.

PS We also make this on a large scale at RecipeTin Meals (400 servings!)

7. Pan fried seasoned fish

When it comes to protein, white fish is my go-to when I’m making an effort to “be healthier” because generally speaking, fish is better for you than red meats. Higher protein, lower saturated fat and the oilier fish (like salmon) is high in omega-3 (“good fat”). While I’m a sucker for lemon butter sauce, fish seasoning is my go-to for a lower fat option – ~265 calories for a 180g / 6 oz white fish fillet like flathead, barramundi.

Serve with a big pile of roasted asparagus with parmesan and lemon (84 calories) or a big Green Bean Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Feta (166 calories) to round out your meal.

8. Cauliflower Fried Rice

Cynics – please trust me. I would never, ever, EVER share a recipe unless I truly thought it was delicious! This will honestly surprise you. It is TASTY! 288 calories for a meal-size portion.

9. Sweet potato soup

Clocking in at 337 calories, creamy, dreamy, sweet, savoury – and simple to make! It’s a home run.

10. Sizzling ginger fish

A steamed fish to get excited about!! Simplified fillet version of the famous Cantonese Steamed Ginger Scallion Whole Fish. 343 calories per serving. Serve over cauliflower rice (35 calories) for a low-carb side to soak up the tasty sauce and a side of Chinese Broccoli with oyster sauce (91 calories), Bok Choy in Ginger Sauce (81 calories) or for something more substantial, try the Spicy Asian Zucchini (143 calories per serving – this is so substantial I’ve had it as a meal on numerous occasions).

11. AWESOME vegetarian San Choy Bau (Chinese lettuce wraps)

I do not use the word “awesome” in a recipe name lightly!! I’m on the wrong side of 20 for that. 😅 My secret? Crumbled tofu. Cooks up and soaks flavour like mince! You can barely tell it’s tofu.

12. Vegetable tagine

A big pot of Moroccan spiced stewy vegetables with chickpeas! And it’s even vegan. Yay vegans! 200 calories for a meal-size portion without couscous, though you could have a little less and serve it over couscous (253 calories per serving).

13. Ratatouille – French vegetable stew

Summery stunner bursting with Mediterranean flavours! 158 calories per serving – so you can totally afford to add a hunk of crusty bread for mopping. (PS There’s also a baked version in my cookbook).

14. Ceviche

I could eat ceviche every. Single. Day! 333 calories for a meal size portion. Serve with crispy baked corn tortillas (60 calories per tortilla) – spray with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, cut into corn-chip size triangles. Bake at 200°C/375°F (180°C fan) for 10 to 15 minutes, tossing halfway, until golden and crisp (keep an eye on them after the 10 minute mark).

There you go! 14 of my (current) favourite low-calorie meals – did you notice everything is under 500 calories including sides? I hope you got inspired with some new ideas!

For more healthy recipe ideas – a surprising number of them actually – have a browse through my Low Calorie recipe collection. (Then you can spend all your calorie savings on cake! 😈)

What about you? What are some of your favourite ways to eat lean? – Nagi x

Life of Dozer

The Butt Bark.

Captured by Kevin Case, Unleashed Northern Beaches.

The post My 14 favourite low-calorie dinners appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps are a lower-cal version of Vietnamese rice paper rolls. The fresh herbs and peanut dipping sauce are key here! Everything else you can switch: prawns for shredded chicken, fish or even tofu, with any shreddable veg you want. Excellent no-cook meal!

Vietnamese lettuce wraps

These lettuce wraps are not strictly Vietnamese authentic (as far as I know), but they certainly embrace all that we love about Vietnamese food – fresh and light yet never boring, using an abundance of crunchy vegetables, herbs and a killer peanut dipping sauce.

That’s definitely a signature of Vietnamese food – wickedly good sauces that make everything delicious! Honestly, you could just smother a bowl of otherwise bland boiled vegetables in that sauce and it will make it 100% scoff-able!

Ingredients in Vietnamese lettuce wraps

Here’s what you need to make these. Yes there are a fair few components. But once you gather everything, it’s just a matter of a bit of chopping then piling everything on platters for people to help themselves. No cooking! 🙌🏻

The peanut dipping sauce

I’m putting this first because, frankly, it makes you forget you’re eating healthy because it’s so good!

• Natural peanut butter – Pure peanut butter is made with JUST peanuts – no sugar, oil or other additives – so the peanut flavour is stronger. It’s also thinner which makes it more suitable for making sauces – commercial spread will make the sauce much thicker. You’ll find natural peanut butter in the health food section or alongside other spreads in regular grocery stores.

• Hoisin – Sweet and savoury, this is a flavour shortcut so don’t skip it!

• Lime juice – For fresh tang. Substitute with rice vinegar.

• LOW FAT coconut milk – Thinner than full fat (so the sauce isn’t too thick) and also the coconut flavour is not as strong so it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavours. If you only have full fat, that’s fine, just thin it with a little water, directions in the recipe notes.

• Garlic – Because it makes it better.

• Sambal oelak – A chilli paste with flavourings, for a bit of heat. It doesn’t make this sauce spicy. Substitute with any other chilli sauce or paste (just add a bit and taste) or feel free to leave it out.

• Dark soy – Deepens the sauce colour and adds flavour plus salt. You can substitute with regular or light soy sauce, but the sauce colour will be a bit paler.

• Sugar – For a touch of sweetness. If you use full fat coconut milk or commercial peanut butter spread, you might not need this.

• Salt – Just the soy isn’t enough, and adding more made it too soy-saucey, I found, and overtook the peanut flavour. So I switched to adding a bit of salt.

THE LETTUCE WRAPS

• Prawns/shrimp – Here in Australia, we are blessed with great prawns! Sold pre-cooked, boiled straight out of the water to lock in freshness. However, feel free to cook your own, I’ve included directions in the recipe notes.

  Other protein options – Because the peanut sauce is so good, you can literally use any protein even if it’s plain! Think – shredded poached chicken, or leftover pan-fried fish or salmon (flake into big chunks), and even non-Asian foods like bits of roast beef. And of course, leftover Lemongrass Chicken or Pork would literally be perfect.

• Lettuce – Use any lettuce you want suitable for wrapping or stuffing. I’ve used baby cos (romaine) which are nice and crisp, which are natural boat-shapes making them ideal for making lettuce wraps. Butter lettuce, which have soft leaves so they wrap without breaking, are also ideal. Iceberg lettuce can also be used.

• Beansprouts – Perky and fresh, and no chopping! (Tip: Store in a container of water, fully submerged, change the water every couple of days. They will stay fresh for a week, compared to 2 – 3 days in the bag).

• Cucumber – Julienned. Not too finely, a bit of crunchy is nice!

• Fresh herbs – The classic combination of mint and coriander/cilantro, to be used in abundance! For those of you who can’t stand coriander/cilantro, use more mint plus chives and/or green onion (cut into batons).

• Vermicelli noodles – or glass noodles. These fill out the meal a bit so it’s not just vegetables. But if you’re really counting carbs, you could omit them or opt for a lower-carb option like konnyaku (konjac) which are the famous Japanese zero-calorie noodles that you can even find in regular grocery stores these days (like this one at Woolworths in Australia).

• Peanuts – for sprinkling.

• Birds eye chilli – for an optional hit of fresh heat and a lovely sprinkle of red colour on the platter.

QUICK PICKLED VEGETABLES – optional!

You can totally just use plain carrots, finely julienned using a shredded or box grater, or some nifty knife work.

Or you can add great extra flavour into your wraps by making Vietnamese pickled vegetables! These are the same pickles used in Banh Mi and it’s one of the things that makes it so special: the crunch with the tang balanced with a bit of sweet. Here’s what you need:

• Carrot and daikon (white radish) – These are two pickled vegetables commonly used in Vietnam, including in Banh Mi. They are cut into thin batons so you get a terrific crunch (albeit pickled-softened-crunch!) when you bite in them. Don’t be tempted to shortcut cutting the vegetables by using a box grater. I tried (the lazy cook in me couldn’t resist) – and it just wasn’t the same. A big vinegary pile of coleslaw-like mush. I missed the crunch!

• Rice wine vinegar – This is the vinegar used for the pickled vegetables, an Asian vinegar made from rice. Substitute with apple cider vinegar.

• Salt and sugar – For pickling. These pickled vegetables are a bit sweet and bit salty, nice balance between the two.

How to make Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps

It’s no cook, if you use pre-cooked prawns like I do!

1. Soak vermicelli noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes (or whatever your packet says). Then drain, rinse under water (so they don’t stick together) and allow excess water to drain off thoroughly before using (about 5 minutes in the colander).

2. Quick pickled vegetables – Dissolve the sugar and salt in hot water, then mix in the vinegar.

3. Pickle the carrot and daikon for 2 hours then drain. Or keep them in the pickling liquid for weeks!

4. Cut the prawns in half horizontally and remove the vein (that’s a nice word for poop shoot which I really wanted to avoid writing, but for clarity, decided I better include it 😂).

   I like to cut the prawns thinner because they sit inside lettuce wraps better. I find whole prawns a little too chunky, though if I was using small prawns I would use them whole.

Lay it all out on a platter

Basically, once the above prep has been done, you just lay everything out on a giant platter or in various bowls, plonk it on the table and tell people make your own dinner! 😂

ASSEMBLING THE LETTUCE WRAPS

And as for the lettuce wrap part, there really are no rules. But here’s a guide for the order in which I do it:

1. Noodles first then whatever vegetables you want to add. Because – newsflash – you don’t have to stuff everything you see on the platter into every lettuce wrap!!

2. Prawns – Top with prawns and stuff the herbs down the side.

3. Sauce – Drizzle with sauce, sprinkle with peanuts and chilli.

4. Then bundle it up and bite!

And there you have it. Another one of my DIY spread meals. I’m a big fan of these for gatherings! Take more of what you like, avoid the things you don’t. Everything can be prepared well in advance, piled onto the platters then kept in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Bonus: It travels well. In fact, I sent the platters you see in this post to my team at RecipeTin Meals. They cook for the vulnerable 5 days a week, so it’s the least I can do to cook for them every now and then. (Well, technically shoot leftovers…..same, same! 😈).

Got more suggestions for fillings? Share them below so others can read your ideas! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Vietnamese Peanut Sauce Lettuce Wraps

Recipe video above. Such a great DIY summer spread, a regular all through summer in my circles! It's essentially a lower-cal version of Vietnamese rice paper rolls. The fresh herbs and the peanut sauce are key here! Everything else you can switch: prawns for shredded chicken, pan fried salmon or other fish (flake into big chunks) or even tofu (I pan fry batons). Use whatever shreddable veg you want.

Emergency version: store bought roast chicken (shredded) + packet shredded coleslaw veg + peanut sauce + noodles. SO GOOD.

Course Light mains, Mains

Cuisine Vietnamese

Keyword Lettuce wraps, vietnamese lettuce wraps

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 as a meal

Calories 320cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

The lettuce cups:

• 300g / 10 oz peeled whole cooked prawns/shrimp , medium (600g/1.2lb unpeeled whole prawns – this is what I use) – Note 1
• 75g / 2.5 oz dried vermicelli noodles (or glass noodles or rice)
• 12 large or 16 -20 small lettuce leaves (I used baby cos/romaine), eg iceberg, butter lettuce

Veg and herbs:

• 1 batch quick pickled carrots and daikon , below *recommended* OR 2 carrots finely julienned (use plain)
• 2 cups beansprouts
• 2 cucumbers , julienned
• 2 cups mint leaves
• 2 cups coriander/cilantro sprigs (sub with chives + extra mint)
• 3 birds eye red chilli , finely sliced (optional)
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts , finely chopped (recommended)

Vietnamese Peanut Sauce:

• 2 tbsp natural peanut butter , smooth (ie not sweetened) – Note 2
• 2 tbsp hoisin
• 1 – 2 tbsp lime juice , sub rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup LOW FAT coconut milk (Note 3)
• 1 large garlic clove , finely grated
• 1 tsp+ sambal oelak (or other chilli sauce/paste of choice), can omit (adj to taste)
• 1 tsp dark soy (Note 4)
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

Quick pickled vegetables

• 2 medium carrots , peeled cut into 2 mm / 1/10″ batons
• 1/2 large white radish (daikon) , peeled, cut the same as carrots
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 3/4 cup rice wine vinegar (sub apple cider vinegar)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Pickle first – Put the boiling water, salt and sugar in a bowl. Mix to to dissolve, then add vinegar. Submerge vegetables and leave for 2 hours. Drain then use per recipe (or store in fridge submerged in liquid).
• Peanut sauce – Mix the peanut sauce ingredients and set aside for the flavours to meld while you prepare the platter. Start with 1 tbsp lime juice and add more if you want tarter.
• Prawns (shrimp) – Cut the prawns in half horizontally and remove the vein.
• Noodles – Soak the noodles in boiling water per packet directions. Rinse under cold water (to prevent stickiness) then drain very well.
• Lay it all out – Pile everything onto a giant platter or put things in little bowls, then let everybody help themselves!
• Assemble – Here's my order: lettuce leaf, noodles first, then veg* (carrots, bean sprouts etc), prawns, stuff herbs down the side, drizzle with sauce, sprinkle with peanuts and chilli. Bundle and bite!

Notes

* Sometimes I like to be a rebel and not use all the veg in every lettuce wrap, especially if I’m using small lettuce leaves. Just put what you want in your lettuce wrap!

1. Or cook your own – just toss 300g/10oz raw peeled prawns with a little salt and pepper. Preheat oil in non stick pan on high and cook each side for 1 1/2 min (medium) to 2 minutes (large ones), then remove.

2. Natural peanut butter is just peanuts, no sugar no salt. Flavour is more intense and it is runnier than peanut butter spread which makes it idea for sauces. Mix well before use as it separates if not used regularly. Can sub with peanut butter spread but your sauce will be thicker with slightly less peanut flavour.

3. Low fat coconut milk is thinner which makes the sauce not too thick. If you only have full fat, that’s fine, use 1/4 cup then top up with water.

4. Dark soy is more intense flavoured than regular and light soy, and darkens sauce colour. But you can substitute with light or all-purpose soy (more on difference soy sauces here).

Leftovers – The peanut sauce will keep for 4 days in the fridge or freezer for 3 months. 

Nutrition assumes all the sauce and vermicelli noodles are consumed, and half the pickles. You probably won’t use all the pickles but you’ll be fine with that because they last for weeks and weeks in the fridge!

Nutrition

Calories: 320cal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 1075mg | Potassium: 748mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 7316IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 3mg

Life of Dozer

This is how he kicked off the new year – begging for the very croissant we just gave to Jeff*. Shame on you Dozer. Shame on you! 😂

* Jeff is a local who lives at Bayview dog park in the northern beaches of Sydney where I lived for 10 years until 10 months ago. I still take Dozer for a romp at the beach regularly! Jeff is a big reason why people travel from all over Sydney to visit Bayview dog park – because he is the reason why the park is so pristine.

The post Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Today’s post is a recipe for how to cook eggplant on the stove with virtually no oil. I use a highly effective, simple pan-steaming method used for Asian dumplings like gyoza! Plus, I’m sharing 8+ ways to serve this pan fried eggplant. Which one is your favourite??

How I cook eggplant on the stove with virtually no oil!

Anybody who has ever cooked eggplant knows they’re greedy oil-sucking sponges. So here’s how I cook them on the stove using very little oil – less than 1/2 teaspoon of oil for a WHOLE eggplant! 

Basically, I cook them the same way I do Asian dumplings – seared then pan-steamed. So you just need to spray the eggplant with oil before cooking in a dry pan. Works a treat, super fast, and ultra healthy.

It’s also a great method to cook thick slabs of eggplant on the stove which can be a bit tricky to do without burning the surface!

So while today’s post might seem a little out of place amongst the usual meal recipes I share, I think it’s a really useful one that will serve you well for the rest of your life.

Plus, I’m sharing a whole bunch of ways to serve this pan fried eggplant. Spend those calories you saved while cooking the eggplant on the toppings to turn it into a tasty meal!! Here’s a little preview of some of a couple: Caprese Eggplant (left) and Hainanese Eggplant (right).

Ingredients

If you give me oil, salt and pepper for free, then this is a ONE ingredient recipe – just eggplant!!

• Eggplant types – This recipe will work for large or small eggplants, including Asian eggplants. You need to cut them into rounds or lengthwise into long slabs so there is at least one cut face that sits flat on the pan, so it cooks through. For Asian eggplants, I just split them in half lengthwise.

  Thickness – Cut the eggplant up to 2 ½ cm / 1” thick. You’ll be amazed how quickly it cooks through! After searing the surface, it only takes about 2 minutes for the middle to become soft using the pan-steaming method.

• Oil spray – This is the best way to get oil coverage using very little oil. I tried to measure it out and I used less than ½ teaspoon oil across 8 slices of eggplant, spraying generously. I like using olive oil spray because it has better flavour.

  But if you don’t have or prefer not to use spray, just brush oil on. You’ll need about 2 tablespoons for 8 slices. Use any oil you want – olive oil, vegetable, canola, coconut oil, even melted butter.

• Adding other flavours – This recipe is a blank canvas you can take in many directions! Sprinkle the eggplant with a seasoning (paprika, onion and garlic is a foolproof combination) or brush with harissa paste mixed into the oil.

For today’s recipe, I’m searing the eggplants with just salt and pepper then providing a list of options for how to serve it with sauces and toppings. Just wait until you see all the possibilities!

How to cook eggplant on the stove – with very little oil!

You’ll need a large frying pan with a lid for this recipe. I use the lid of a large pot which is larger than my pan. You could also use a large baking tray or another frying pan. Anything to trap the steam in!

1. Cut the eggplant into rounds. I like thick meaty rounds about 2 cm / 0.8” thick, though this method will cook for thinner rounds too, and up to about 3 cm / 1.2”. 

   Note on thickness: This method is to cook thick slices of eggplant. If you are after thin slices, say 5mm / 0.2” thick, there’s no need to pan steam. Just spray with oil and pan sear, it will only take a couple of minutes on each side to cook through.

2. Spray the surface generously with oil, then sprinkle with salt (you can use pepper too, if you want).

3. Sear – Heat a large non-stick pan over medium high heat, with no oil. Then place the eggplant in the pan and sear until browned on both sides. This can take 1 ½ to 2 minutes, depending on how well the heat distributes in your pan and how big your burner is. Control the heat as needed for nice even browning. 

   At this stage, the eggplant will still be completely raw inside.

4. Add water – Carefully pour ¼ cup of water around the eggplant. The water will bubble up and get steamy quickly so pour slowly.

5. Pan-steam – Quickly put the lid on to trap the steam to cook the eggplant. Leave it for 2 minutes or until the water has evaporated.

6. Check to see if the eggplant is cooked by stabbing it with a butter knife (not a sharp cutting knife as it is too sharp so you can’t tell if the eggplant is fully cooked or not). It should be completely soft all the way through. If not, just add a splash of water and keep steaming. That’s the great thing about this technique, you can keep doing this multiple times until the eggplant is cooked through!

Once cooked, transfer to a serving plate! You can eat it as is – delicious, because eggplant is so ridiculously juicy inside and you seasoned it with salt and pepper. But see below for a whole bunch of other ways to serve this!

Suggestion for ways to serve pan-fried eggplant

If I want to do a little more but still keep things effortless, I just add a swish of extra virgin olive oil, sea salt flakes and a squeeze of lemon. If I’m cooking to impress, I might even sprinkle over a few parsley leaves – going all out! 😂 This is picture above. (To take it over the top, add a shower of parmesan. So good!)

But, if you want to make your eggplant-eating life even more exciting, here’s a list of suggestions. Just wait until you see the variety of possibilities!

1. Chilli crisp eggplant

The fastest way to dress up pan-fried eggplant: add a good smear of your favourite chilli crisp! (My go-to store bought Chilli Crisp is Lao Ganman “Angry Auntie” which is a worldwide favourite).

2. Caprese Eggplant

Topped with tomato, basil, crumbled goats cheese or feta with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. I especially like eating this on toast!

3. HAINANESE Eggplant

Named as such because it’s served with the Hainanese Chicken ginger shallot sauce plus a drizzle of sriracha. And it’s amazing! Ginger shallot sauce recipe here.

4. SAUCE VIERGE

Bright Mediterranean flavours in this olive-tomato-garlic-herb vinaigrette style modern French salsa-sauce that I love serving with seared tuna steak. It works so well with eggplant! Sauce Vierge recipe here.

5. DUKKAH WITH TAHINI YOGURT SAUCE

I really need to share our dukkah recipe with you! For now, use store bought.  Use the tahini sauce from this recipe.

6. WITH A MOUNTAIN OF PARMESAN BREADCRUMBS

A slather of garlic yogurt sauce and a mound of garlic parmesan panko is a ridiculously delicious combination of flavours and textures!

7. MORE IDEAS

• More toppings – chimichurri, salsa verde, pico de gallo, avocado corn salsa from this recipe

• Replace the sweet potato steak in this recipe with this pan-fried eggplant

• Replace the pumpkin in this Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt Sauce and Pine Nuts

• Replace the zucchini in this grilled zucchini with Spicy Asian Sauce recipe

• Pile over lentils ragout, farro salad or Pearl Couscous Salad or lentil salad

And with that, I’m done. Who knew I had so much to say about pan-fried eggplant?? 

Now for the best part – getting ideas from. Share, share, share! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Almost no-oil Pan Fried Eggplant

Recipe video above. This is a recipe for how to cook eggplant on the stove with virtually no oil – less than 1/2 teaspoon for a whole eggplant! I use a highly effective, simple pan-steaming method used for Asian dumplings like gyoza!

Eat it as is, or see in post for a list of toppings and sauces to serve with this pan fried eggplant. Which one is your favourite??

Course Main, Side

Cuisine Western

Keyword how to cook eggplant, how to cook eggplant on the stove, pan fried eggplant

Prep Time 3 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 13 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 121cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant (aubergine), around 20cm/8” (~400g/14 oz) (Note 1)
• Olive oil spray (or other oil spray) (Note 2)
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup water

Sauces and toppings for serving:

• See in post for ideas and links to recipes for sauces etc!

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Cut the eggplant into 2cm / 0.8” rounds.
• Spray each side generously with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Brown – Heat a large non-stick pan with a lid over medium high heat, no oil. (Note 3) Add the eggplant slices and pan fry for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side or until you get some nice browning on it. As much or as little as you want!
• Pan steam – Carefully add water around the eggplant (it will bubble and steam, so do this carefully). Then immediately cover with a lid to trap the steam in. Steam for 2 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
• Check – Use a butter knife to check to ensure the eggplant is cooked through. If not, add a bit more water and steam again!
• Serve – Transfer to a serving plate and serve! Great as is, or to dress it up a tiny bit, add a swish of olive oil, squeeze of lemon juice and parsley leaves, or a smear of chilli crisp! See in post for more ways to serve.

Notes

1. Eggplant (aubergine) – For Asian eggplant (ie the long thin cucumber shaped ones), split in half lengthwise. Sear the cut face and the skin side. Add water and cook using this method.

Thickness of slices – This method is for thick slices of eggplant around 2 – 2.5cm / 1” thick. If you are after thin slices of eggplant ~5mm / 0.2”, there’s no need to do the steaming step. You can just pan-fry it for 2 minutes on each side.

2. Oil spray is the best for even coverage. If you prefer to brush oil on, you’ll need around 2 – 2 ½ tbsp of oil for 6 large rounds as pictured (eggplant absorbs oil so easily!).

3. Lid for pan – I just use the lid of a large pot which is actually larger than my pan but works fine to trap the steam in. You could also use a baking tray.

4. Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days but it does tend to get watery and mushy. Best served freshly cooked!

Nutrition for the whole recipe ie assuming it serves 1!

Nutrition

Calories: 121cal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1172mg | Potassium: 923mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 95IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

Life of Dozer

For short trips, I’ll just pop him in the boot which is his preference. He likes to sprawl. But for longer distances, I always belt him up. Safety first!

The post Almost no-oil Pan Fried Eggplant appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

My favourite way to cook bok choy is with a lovely shiny, ginger sauce. Great way to load up on leafy Asian greens quickly and easily! On the table in 5 minutes, serve over fluffy rice or over noodles in soup.

My favourite bok choy recipe

I’ve shared many stir fries using bok choy but I’ve never done one where it takes centre stage. Which is a bit of an omission on my part because today’s recipe is one that I use rather frequently in my day-to-day life. It’s just a really tasty, quick way to cook up a big load of leafy Asian greens. It’s a staple vegetable dish on the menu of everyday Chinese restaurants.

Saucy is the key! That ginger sauce will make any vegetable scoff-able. The Chinese are very clever cooks!

What you need to make Bok Choy in Ginger Sauce

Here’s what you need to make this bok choy recipe.

Bok Choy (or other Asian greens!)

I’m using baby bok choy for today’s recipe but you can use almost all leafy Asian greens such as pak choy and choy sum.

Size – I like to use small(ish) bok choy if I can find it, usually labelled “baby bok choy”, because it is more tender and sweet. I classify them “baby” up to around 17cm/7″ long. The other side benefit is that you can cook the leaves whole without separating the stem from the leafy part which looks nice.

Much longer than this and you end up in a spaghetti-type situation (I see hot ginger sauce being slapped around your mouth!) unless you cut the leafy part from the stem.

Other Asian greens

The cooking method in this recipe works great for pretty much any Asian greens. You just need to tweak the steaming time to suit the one you’re using. Here are some other common Asian greens that are ideal to use for this recipe – pak choy (full size and baby!) and choy sum.

And here’s how to cut each of these types of Asian greens for this recipe. For the longer ones, just cut into pieces as long or short as you want. For smaller ones, keep the leaves whole!

Gai lan, also known as Chinese broccoli, will also work but because the stem is a little firmer (like ordinary broccoli texture), it will take a little longer to steam-cook. Though, if Gai Lan is what you have, my favourite way to cook it is with Oyster Sauce, yum cha style – stacked and doused with sauce! Recipe here.

Sauce

The sauce is a classic Chinese stir fry sauce that is nice and shiny. It’s fairly light in colour compared to other stir fry sauces which is common at Chinese restaurants. It suits vegetable dishes – we don’t want to weigh down leafy greens with overly salty, intensely flavoured sauces.

But, let me be clear, this sauce is definitely not bland!! It’s an excellent, tasty rice-soaking sauce!

• Oyster sauce – A very common Asian sauce found in the Asian aisle of grocery stores that is used liberally in Chinese, Thai and other Asian cooking. Sweet and savoury packed into one magical bottle, it’s key to this otherwise simple sauce not being bland and boring. Substitute with vegetarian oyster sauce (fairly commonly found these days) or hoisin sauce (you’ll get a hint of Chinese five spice flavour which is lovely too!)

• Chinese cooking wine (“Shaoxing wine”) is an essential ingredient for making truly “restaurant standard” Asian sauces, adds depth of flavour. More information on it here. Substitute with Mirin, cooking sake or dry sherry. Non alcoholic substitutes – swap both the cooking wine AND water with low sodium chicken broth/stock.

• Sesame oil (toasted) – Use toasted sesame oil which is brown and has more flavour than untoasted (which is yellow). Default sesame oil sold in Australia is toasted, untoasted is harder to find.

• Soy sauce – Use either light or all purpose soy sauce. But not dark soy sauce – flavour is too strong and the colour is too intense! More on which soy sauce to use when here.

• Cornflour / cornstarch – Thickens the stir fry sauce and also makes it shiny! Flour, on the other hand, doesn’t make sauces shiny. Food trivia for the day!

• White pepper is the pepper of choice in most Chinese stir fry sauces as it keeps the sauce free of (unsightly!😂) black pepper speckles. But I promise switching a pinch of white pepper for black pepper will not ruin your dish!!

How to cook Bok Choy

Bok choy cooks so quickly it can be pan roasted, steamed or boiled. But my favourite way is to combine both pan-roasting and steaming. You get the lovely sautéed gingery oil coating the bok choy before steaming it in just 45 seconds in the pan. The sauce is poured in at the end and literally takes 30 seconds to thicken!

1. Sauce – Mix the cornflour/cornstarch with everything except the water until lump free, then mix in the water. Why? Because it’s easier to dissolve cornflour in less liquid. If there’s too much liquid, you end up with pesky cornflour lumps.

2. Sauté ginger in the oil for a minute to soften and also to flavour the oil. The ginger won’t cook much further once everything else is added.

   TIP: Start the ginger in a cold pan to extend the oil-infusion time!

3. Toss bok choy in the pan for about 15 seconds to coat it in the gingery oil. I recommend using 2 spatulas, one a rubber spatula so you can scoop up the little bits of ginger.

4. Water – Then pour over 1/4 cup of water. This will create the steam to cook the bok choy.

5. 45 second steam – Place the lid on then steam for just 45 seconds until the stem is partially cooked. Bok choy cooks really, really quickly! And we still have the sauce to go so we don’t want it to be fully soft at this stage.

   Doneness – The stem should still have a soft crunch to it, but not be crisp like when raw. If it’s soft all the way through, it turns into mush. Not pleasant!

6. Sauce – Give the sauce a quick stir to mix in any cornflour settled on the bottom. Then pour it over the bok choy and toss for just 30 seconds or until it changes from murky to a clear glossy sauce that thickens slightly and coats the bok choy.

   Thickness adjustment – If the sauce evaporates too quickly and gets too thick, just add a splash of water to loosen it up! This can happen if there’s too much heat in the pan or if your vegetables are a bit past their prime so don’t release much water when steaming.

   And that’s it! How quick was that? Just transfer the bok choy and every drop of that delicious sauce onto a serving plate then serve!

Serving

The obvious role for this plate of tasty vegetable goodness is as a side dish. But I exaggerate not when I say that I’ll happily have this as a meal, just by itself. Proof above. Look at that ginger-sauce-rice-soaking situation!!! Try telling me that’s not meal worthy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Bok Choy in Ginger Sauce

Recipe video above. My favourite way to cook bok choy is with a lovely shiny, ginger sauce. Great way to load up on leafy Asian greens quickly and easily! Be careful not to overcook the bok choy, it cooks really fast. Pan-steam for just 45 seconds, then it finishes cooking in 30 seconds with the sauce.

Recipe also works great with other Asian Greens like pak choy, choy sum (see Note 1). Make this ginger version one day then garlic the next! Serve as a side, with fluffy rice or over noodles in soup.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Keyword asian greens recipe, bok choy recipe, how to cook bok choy

Prep Time 3 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes minutes

Total Time 6 minutes minutes

Servings 4 – 5 as a side

Calories 81cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 6 small bok choys , up to ~17cm/7″ long, or other Asian greens (Note 1 + photos in post)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup ginger , finely julienned (or 1 tbsp garlic)
• 1/4 cup water

Sauce (Note 5 for Charlie shortcut!):

• 3 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp light soy sauce , or all-purpose soy (Note 2)
• 1 tsp oyster sauce (sub vegetarian oyster sauce)
• 2 tsp Chinese cooking wine (Note 3)
• 1 tsp sesame oil , toasted
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt
• Pinch white pepper

Instructions

• Cutting – Trim the base of the bok choy then separate all the leaves. Leave the delicate baby bok choy in the centre intact, it's precious! Cut giant stems in half lengthwise so they are all roughly the same size. Rinse in colander, shake off excess water (don't need to dry fully).
• Sauce – Stir Sauce ingredients except water in a jug until cornflour is dissolved. (Easier to make lump free with less liquid). Then stir in water.
• Gingery oil – Put the ginger and oil in a large non-stick pan. Turn onto medium heat. Once the ginger starts sizzling, sauté for 1 minute until it turns light golden and is a bit floppy. Add bok choy then use 2 spatulas to toss the ginger for around 15 seconds to coat.
• Steam – Turn heat up to medium, pour water over. Cover with lid and steam for just 45 seconds.
• Sauce – Remove lid (bok choy will still be a bit underdone), pour in sauce, toss for 30 seconds until sauce changes from murky to clear, and thickens. Bok choy should be just floppy but still soft crunch, not mushy. If your sauce gets too thick (Note 4), add a tiny splash of water and mix.
• Serve – Pour the bok choy and all the sauce onto a serving plate, then eat!

Notes

1. Bok Choy & other asian greens – can use other leafy Asian greens, such as pak choy, choy sum, baby and full size. For short ones, like the pictured baby bok choy, just trim the base and separate the leaves (keep stem and leafy part attached). For long ones, cut into 7.5cm/3″ (ish) lengths (see photos in post). If the stems are really thick, cut in half. Toss the stems in first to give them a head start, then add the leafy part just at the end before adding water to steam.

Recipe will work with gai lan (Chinese broccoli) too, just get the stem going first (it’s thicker so will take longer to cook) and steam it for a little longer (around 2 minutes in total).

2. Soy sauce – Use either light or all purpose soy sauce. But not dark soy sauce – flavour is too strong and the colour is too intense! More on which soy sauce to use when here.

3. Chinese cooking wine (“Shaoxing wine”) is an essential ingredient for making truly “restaurant standard” Asian sauces, adds depth of flavour. More info on it here. Substitute with Mirin, cooking sake or dry sherry. Non alcoholic sub – sub both the cooking wine AND water with low sodium chicken broth/stock.

4. Sauce relies on some water coming out of the bok choy as it steams. If your bok choy is old and shrivelled, not enough water will come out. Easy fix – just add a tiny splash of water!

5. Charlie option – To make this using Charlie (my all-purpose stir fry sauce), mix 2 tablespoons of Charlie with 1/4 cup water. Then use as the Sauce!

6. Leftovers will keep for 2 days but the vegetables do tend to get watery/floppy.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 81cal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 317mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 4468IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 1mg

Life of Dozer

Before…..

….and after he realised what it was:

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