Sesame Vegetables

Sure, you claim you love eggplant and spinach.  You preach your success over making Eggplant Parmigina and Creamed Spinach.  You gloat over your Spinach Artichoke Dip as you praise the powers of the leafy green.

But are you sure you like Eggplant?  Because I’ ve met a lot of people who claim to love Eggplant, eh, rather, Eggplant Parmigina, only to find out what they really like is the *concept* of eggplant. 

I mean, it’s breaded, fried, dunked in tomato sauce, covered with cheese…How could you not like that dish?  The eggplant could be replaced with spam and you’d still eat that concoction.

And spinach?  Oh, sure, you just love the spinach stuffed shells you make and the creamed spinach served at your local steakhouse.  But are you sure that you aren’t mistaking your love for spinach for your love of ricotta cheese and heavy cream?  I mean, they did have to create a whole cartoon show about getting kids to eat spinach, after all.

So, consider this recipe a test.  Yes, a test.  A test to see if you really actually like eggplant.  And to see if that deliciously-fatty dairy disguise that accompanies spinach isn’t swaying your opinion.

Because you’ll taste the eggplant and you’ll taste the spinach.  And if you are like me, you’ll fall in love with this simple asian side dish as a result. 

 And if you’re like the Omnivore…you’ll stick to Eggplant Parimigina and Creamed Spinach.

Sesame Vegetables (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, 2 servings)
1/2 medium eggplant, cut into thin strips
2 cups fresh spinach
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 medium onion, sliced into thin strips
2 tsp sesame oil
1 T soy sauce
1 T dry sherry
1/8 tsp crushed pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp sesame seeds

Place eggplant, sprinkled with salt, in a collander to drain.  Toss a few times over a 10 minute period.  Rinse.  Heat sesame oil in your wok and sautee eggplant 3 minutes, until it starts to darken.  Remove from heat.  Add onion, garlic, and sesame seeds to the wok.  Stir fry one minute.  Add soy sauce, sherry, and crushed pepper to the wok.  Toss in spinach.  Return eggplant to the wok and fold ingredients together, wilting spinach and incorporating the sauces over the vegetables.