The Cyclist's Wife: Stir-Fry Salad with Salmon & what I did with Eggplant #2

Remember all those Asian goodies I got at the Farmer's Market a couple of weeks ago?

Well. Not everything was Asian, but the bok choy and long beans were.

Plus I had that eggplant.

So, let me stop here and apologize in advance for the photos.

Like most things in our house, this dish was made on the fly - meaning I was in a hurry to get it done before

8 p.m., plus I was hungry, so good pictures weren't my main concern.

Eating was.

Additionally, we are figuring out that our red curtain in the kitchen window, coupled with our light cover on the oven hood (circa 1956, Mad Men kitchen) makes for a weird orange-ish red-ish yellow-ish hue in most of the photos I'm taking in the cooking area.

The best solution I see to this problem is finishing Kitchen Re-model Phase 2 (set for December).

Of course, I could move the food to another counter, but I think it will just be easier to finish the kitchen.

(Think big people!)

Moving on.

Remember the eggplant?

We're going to do the same thing we did with it last time...

Take your eggplant and cut it into slices, leaving the skin on....

(Recognize that photo? That's because it's the same one. Sweating eggplant looks like sweating eggplant, no matter how you slice it. Hardy-har.)

...then sprinkle some salt on it.

Remember, we're drawing out the excess moisture, please follow this instruction.

Leave the salt on for 15-20 minutes and then flip them over and salt the other side.

Leave that side sweating for 15-20 minutes and then rinse them off.

Meanwhile...

Chop up a leek and peel some carrots (this was about 3 or 4 skinny ones)....

then, if you're blogging, take a crappy picture of it...

Note - I started peeling my carrots like this for stir-fry awhile ago. I like my friend the carrot, but he takes for days to cook and soften if you cut him into rounds. Peeling them is an easy solution/fix for this problem.

Plus, I like the long spaghetti-ness of them in the stir-fry.

You can also chop up some onions.....

(I used a yellow one)

...and mince some garlic...

(That's the garlic on the right)

I think the other thing is the bok choy that I started to chop.

Then my helpful husband The Cyclist said "I can help", so he cut up the rest of the bok choy....

Now. I also made long beans as a side to this dish.

I made this recipe, but I didn't have any red bell pepper so I went without it.

I also didn't cut my long beans into 3 inch lengths, I just cut them in half.

They're long beans, they should remain long.

So, if you're making long beans too.....

....you might want to get started on those bad boys now.

But, if you're just making my stir-fry, you don't need the long beans.

(Unless you want them).

If your husband is helping you, that eggplant may be done sweating.

He can chop that up, and chop up some mushrooms too...

We used a whole package of Crimini mushrooms.

This picture is funny - notice how The Cyclist is peeling the mushroom?

I think he was freaked out by the brown outside.

I think he's also generally freaked out by mushrooms.

If I don't use them within 24 hours of purchase he swears they are bad.

Anyway, he peeled that one mushroom.....

...and sliced it.

Then I told him that was going to take too long and he just needed to chop them up.

It went something like this:

"They're Crimini's! They're supposed to be brown! Just cut them, I'm hungry."

Then he did what I said because when my stomach is growling I look like this:

Picture Courtesy of How To Draw Cartoons

While The Cyclist was chopping, I was making the stir-fry sauce....

...while drinking wine.

That's our salmon in case you were wondering.

I used the Pioneer Woman's sauce from her Simple Sesame Noodles.

Here is the recipe:

1/4 cup Soy Sauce - I used low sodium

2 Tablespoons Sugar

4 cloves Garlic, Minced

2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar

3 Tablespoons Pure Sesame Oil

1/2 teaspoon Hot Chili Oil

4 Tablespoons Canola Oil - I used grapeseed oil

4 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin - I didn't have green onions, so I didn't use them
I also add 1 to 2 tablesoons of hot water before whisking the mixture together. That always gives it the perfect consistency! - I do this too

Preparation Instructions

Whisk all ingredients (except green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.

Don't be a nerd like me and run out of soy sauce, forcing yourself to rip open multiple packets of these:

OK. On to the cooking.

I didn't take any pictures of the stuff cooking, but here's how it went down:

Prep your salmon filets - The Cyclist rubbed ours with some olive oil and put salt and pepper on them

Set the salmon on a broiling pan and set it aside

Heat up a large skillet or wok (medium-high heat)

Add some oil (I used grapeseed)

Add the chopped up eggplant

Let it cook a bit until it starts to soften, then add the mushrooms

Also add the leeks, carrots, onions and garlic

Continue to saute these

Once this starts to get going, put your salmon in the oven

We did ours on low broil and it seriously only took about 5 minutes

Just before the salmon is done, throw the bok-choy into the stir fry mixture - just let it wilt a bit

Turn the burner off

Take your salmon out

Pour the stir fry sauce over the top of the veggie mixture

Plate the veggies and put the salmon on top

Check it...

....wow, much better lighting in these parts.

I called this stir-fry salad because it had the heat and saute-ness of a stir-fry, but the bok choy added a salad like texture that was good. The Pioneer Woman's Sesame Noodle sauce recipe is no joke. The flavor is great and I think it is what really made this dish.

I posted the entire recipe to Tasty Kitchen.

Oh, and before I go, I have to share this...