Grilled Asian Eggplant with Soy-Ginger Glaze

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It was gorgeous today. Our morning was really cold, but once the sun burned away the last pockets of fog, the sky remained a beautiful azure for the entire day. It was a perfect day to barbecue, so I fired up the grill and made our first "brick" chicken of the year. I had Asian eggplants in the refrigerator and thought that grilled, they make a perfect accompaniment to the chicken. They happened to be the long, slender dark purple Japanese variety. Japanese and the lavender Chinese eggplant have thinner skins, fewer seeds and a milder taste than the globe eggplant that is used in Italian cooking. The chicken was mildly spiced, so I decided to pair it with a full-flavored Asian-style grilled eggplant. This is very easy to do. All that's required is to halve them lengthwise and baste them with a teriyaki sauce as they cook. The insides become creamy as the outer surfaces caramelize. My only caution, should you decide to make them, is to watch the heat of the grill. If it is too hot the eggplants will burn before they cook through. If you are looking for something different to serve with plain grilled meat or poultry, you might want to give these a try. They are not the prettiest girl on the block, so when we have guests I roll the slices rather than serve them flat on a plate. Here's the recipe.

Grilled Asian Eggplant with Soy-Ginger Glaze...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Willams Sonoma, Savoring America

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sake
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon peeled, finely minced ginger
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 pound Asian eggplants
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
2 scallions, white and tender green, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

Directions:
1) To make the sauce: Combine soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 1 minute. Let cool. Stir in sesame oil.
2) Prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill.
3) Cut eggplants lengthwise into slices about 1/4-inch thick. Brush one side of each slice with the soy mixture. Grease the surface of the grill. Place slices, glaze side down on grill. Cook, turning frequently and basting often with sauce until slices are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer slices to a serving platter. Roll into a cylinder if desired. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

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Corn Salad with Edamame and Tomatoes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Despite predictions of glorious weather, we've had days this week with fog so thick you needed a machete to cut through it. Weathermen have the only job in the world where you can be consistently wrong and still be promoted. However, if you say things often enough and wait long enough, sooner or later you'll be right. Yesterday was that day. The weatherman finally nailed it. The sun rose glowing and stayed that way for the entire day. Under all that fog, the plum and pear trees and early daffodils had been waiting for the sun to signal their debut. They made their appearance yesterday, so, I can finally say with certainty that spring has come to my corner of the world. When the pear trees come fully into bloom, the valleys here will look like they've been sprayed with popcorn. That's eye candy for winter weary souls. Bob and I decided it was no day to remain indoors, so we took off early and came home late. We had breakfast and lunch on the road in quantities larger than our want, so we weren't ravenous when dinner time rolled around. I made a quick soup, some rice and this lovely simple salad that I want to share with you today. It contains protein rich edamame, green soybeans, and the beans add a lovely crunch to this quick salad. I do hope you'll give this a try. It's a perfect accompaniment to grilled anything. The salad has magnificent color and is meant to be eaten hot or warm. You'll find its color becomes less vibrant as it sits, so make this just before you plan to serve it. Here's the recipe.

Corn Salad with Edamame and Tomatoes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite based on a recipe developed by Nancie McDermott

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 thin slices fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups frozen sweet corn
1 cup frozen edamame beans
3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1) Heat a wok or a deep skillet over high heat. Add vegetable oil and swirl to coat all surfaces of pan.
2) Add garlic, ginger and salt. Stir just until garlic releases its fragrance, about 30 seconds. Add corn and toss to coat with oil. Stir in edamame beans.
3) Add water and cook, tossing or stirring often, until the corn and edamame are hot and tender, about 5 minutes.
4) Add tomatoes and sugar. Toss or stir gently until they are warm and heated through. Add sesame oil and cilantro and mix well. Transfer to a plate. Serve hot or warm. Yield: 4 servings.

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