Ginger-Sprout Stir Fry and Eggplant Almost-Parmesan

For lunch today I just started pulling Asian-type ingredients out of the fridge to see what ideas presented themselves to me. Here's what resulted:

GINGERED SNOW PEA AND BEAN SPROUT STIR FRY

1-2 teaspoons sesame and/or peanut oil
quarter cup diced onion
sliced clove garlic
four or five shredded baby-cut carrots (or yes, about one large whole one)
half a large zucchini, chopped
soy sauce to taste
2-3 oz. cubed firm tofu
half a cup snow peas, chopped if desired
cup of mung bean sprouts
quarter cup cooked brown rice (that's just what I had left over)
2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
2 slices crystallized ginger, chopped

Cook the ingredients in a medium nonstick pan or wok in the order given, pausing as needed to have them all come out done to desired extent. Putting in the soy sauce early helps insure the tofu will absorb good flavors.

Verdict--Excellent! The crispness of the sweet snow peas and bean sprouts and the firm crunch of the sunflower seeds blend well with the satisfying softness of the tofu and zucchini, and the ginger adds a nice burst of flavor here and there. This made a BIG bowl.

EGGPLANT ALMOST-PARMESAN
(Adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook (Mollie Katzen's Classic Cooking) )

half a large eggplant, in 1/2" slices
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup combination of whole wheat bread crumbs and wheat germ
combination of basil, marjoram, thyme, etc.
sprinkling of parmesan cheese

Combine herbs with bread crumbs. Put milk in a shallow bowl and dip eggplant slices into that and then into the crumbs, then lay on a nonstick baking pan. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or so, until soft but crispy on the outside. Serve with pasta sauce, either plain or on noodles, sprinkled with a bit of parmesan cheese.

Verdict--Excellent! I was very pleased with this--had two slices for my supper on a bed of whole wheat linguine with chunky pasta sauce over all and a sprinkling of parmesan.

CHUNKY PASTA SAUCE

1/4 to 1/3 cup pesto (mine has little oil in it)
large zucchini, chopped
onion, chopped
bell pepper, chopped
clove garlic, minced
jar of Ragu or other pasta sauce
can of diced tomatoes

Heat pesto in a pot, then add zucchini, onion, pepper, and garlic and stir while cooking to slight softness. Then add pasta sauce and tomatoes and simmer fifteen or twenty minutes. Serve over almost anything.

Verdict--Very Good. Just one of those everyday things to enjoy.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--Leftover BERRY KALE SMOOTHIE

Lunch--GINGERED SNOW PEA AND BEAN SPROUT STIR FRY, half pink grapefruit

Snack--Banana with peanut butter and flax seed meal

Supper--EGGPLANT ALMOST-PARMESAN, CHUNKY PASTA SAUCE, half cup of whole wheat linguine