Spicy Sweet Soy Eggplant Tofu Quail Egg Stir-fry

This recipe is a mouthful in more ways than one! Spicy Sweet Soy Eggplant Tofu Quail Egg Stir-fry will fill your belly and please all your taste buds.

Once upon a time (back in the late ’80s) we lived on the island of Borneo in the small oilfield town of Balikpapan. Borneo is owned by three countries. The tiniest bit in the northwest corner belongs to the Sultanate of Brunei and the rest falls under the jurisdiction of either Indonesia or Malaysia. Balikpapan is in the Indonesia section called Kalimantan. I had tried sweet soy sauce aka kecap manis before but that is where I fell in love.

Kecap manis, pronounced kuh-CHOP MAH-nees, is a must-have in so many Indonesian dishes. It’s soy sauce sweetened with palm sugar so it makes sense that the name translates to “sweet sauce” in English. 

In most Indonesian restaurants, a small bowl of kecap manis and chopped bird’s eye chili peppers will be on every table, just in case what you ordered didn’t have kecap manis in it but you want to add some. I usually did. 

I have hauled bottles of the ABC brand sauce in my luggage all over the world! I love it that much. It’s the key ingredient in my spicy sticky wings and my Bali spicy grilled fish.  

I came across this recipe online while searching for something to make with eggplant and tofu. As soon as I saw kecap manis in the ingredients list, I knew I had to make it. It reminded me a bit of my braised pork and egg dish and I adore that! 

Spicy Sweet Soy Eggplant Tofu Quail Egg Stir-fry

This recipe is adapted from one I found on Cookpad. The author is from Bandung, Indonesia, which is on Java, the same island as the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.  You can find kecap manis, fresh quail eggs, and fried tofu at most Asian markets. Check the refrigerated section for the latter two. 

Ingredients - serves 4

2 eggplant (approximately 1 2/3 lbs or 740g total) 

fine sea salt 

1 small onion – about 3 1/2 oz or 100g

4 cloves garlic

4 fresh red chili peppers

7 oz or 200g fried tofu - cut into cubes (I used already seasoned with lemon grass and chili) 

2 tablespoons canola or another light oil

1/3 cup or 80ml kecap manis aka sweet soy sauce

12 hard-boiled quail eggs

chopped cilantro – some for pan and some to garnish

To serve: cooked white or brown rice 

Method

Cut the eggplant into cubes (no need to peel) and put them in a colander, lightly sprinkling on sea salt as you add the cubes in layers. Set the colander in a sink (or over a large bowl) to drain. 

Meanwhile, make the onion, garlic and red chili peppers into a paste in a small food processor or mortar and pestle. Set aside.

Dry the eggplant with paper towels then fry it in batches in large nonstick skillet until the pieces are golden on all sides. Sometimes a little drizzle of oil helps this process. It depends on your non-stick skillet. 

Set the browned eggplant aside on a large plate. 

Cut the fried tofu into bite-sized pieces and repeat the pan-frying process in the same non-stick skillet. When the tofu is golden on all sides, pop it on top of the eggplant. 

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add in the onion/garlic/chili paste. 

Fry over a medium heat for a few minutes, until fragrant. That is to say, until it no longer smells sharply of onion and garlic. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and let it simmer for a few minutes more. 

Add in the sweet soy sauce and cook over a low heat till it’s a bit sticky looking. Stir often so it doesn’t burn. 

Add the tofu and eggplant back into the pan, along with the boiled quail eggs. 

Fold gently to coat them with the sauce and cook for a few minutes more until everything is heated through again.  Sprinkle with some chopped cilantro and stir it in gently. 

Top with more cilantro to serve. I serve this over cooked white or brown rice and put my habanero sauce on the table in case anyone would like it spicier than it already is!

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay again and our featured ingredient is the incredible edible egg! Check out the recipe links below. Many thanks to our host, Rebekah of Making Miracles!

• Ajitsuke Tamago (Ramen Eggs) from Palatable Pastime
• Baked Eggs with Parmesan and Chives Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Beet-Marbled Eggs with Feta from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Dosa Egg Sandwich Sneha's Recipe
• Egg, Ham and Cheese Crepe Pockets from Making Miracles
• Huevos Rancheros from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Huevos Rancheros Verde from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Ramen Bowls with Spinach & Poached Eggs from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Spicy Sweet Soy Eggplant Tofu Quail Egg Stir-fry from Food Lust People Love

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Tofu Quail Egg Stir-fry!

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Cheesy Creamed Leeks

Cheesy Creamed Leeks with their mellow oniony flavor and rich cheddar cream sauce are wonderful as a main dish or side. 

If you are serving this as a main dish, all you need to complete the meal is a lightly dressed green salad with perhaps some crusty bread for sopping up the last creamy, cheesy drops. As a side, cheesy creamed leeks go well with fish or pan-fried chicken breasts. They would even make a great filling for a baked potato or topping for pasta. 

Truly versatile and so delicious, I believe that the leek is underrated as a vegetable, at least on the US side of the pond. It’s much appreciated in Great Britain though and it’s even a national emblem in Wales. If you ever watch Welsh rugby on television, you can’t miss all the fans sporting leek hats, which I find ever so amusing. The ones dressed as daffodils are equally as funny but that’s a story for another day. 

Cheesy Creamed Leeks

This recipe is adapted from one in the Waitrose & Partners Food magazine from March 2019. I used less wine but more cream and four times the cheese. I stand by all of those decisions. It will serve three as a main dish with other sides as suggested above or six as a side dish. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs or 700g whole leeks

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup or 80ml dry white wine

1/2 cup or 120ml whipping cream

3 1/2 oz or 100g mature cheddar, grated

2 teaspoons whole grain mustard

Method

Wash the leeks thoroughly, making sure to get any dirt out from between the layers. 

Cut off the root end and the hard part of the green bits and discard (or freeze them to use when you are making vegetable stock.) Thinly slice the tender green and white parts. 

Sauté the leeks in the butter in a large pan over a low heat, covered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Once the leeks have softened, add the wine and turn up the heat. 

Cook until the wine has almost completely evaporated then pour in the whipping cream and add the mustard. Stir well. 

Cook for a couple minutes then add in 3/4 of the cheese and stir well to combine. 

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top of the dish. 

Put it under the broiler/grill on high for a few minutes, keeping a close eye on it, until it’s bubbling and golden brown in spots. 

Enjoy!

It’s the first Wednesday of the month so that means it’s time for our Foodie Extravaganza party. Today it’s National Whipping Cream Day so we are celebrating by sharing recipes with whipping cream. Check them out below. Many thanks to our host, Sneha of Sneha’s Recipe. 

• Cheesy Creamed Leeks from Food Lust People Love
• Chocolate Truffle Cakes with Cappuccino Whipped Cream from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Havarti, Egg & Dill Breakfast Quiche from Palatable Pastime
• Oven-Baked Au Gratin Potatoes in a Pie Dish from Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Pull Me Up Cake from Sneha’s Recipe
• Raspberry Parfait from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Vintage Icebox Cake from Pandemonium Noshery

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board.

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Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette Steak Salad

This roasted tomato vinaigrette steak salad sees the vinaigrette do double duty, first as a marinade for the rump steak and then as dressing for the salad itself. 

One year, on a holiday to Florida, we were invited to a family member’s house for a barbecue. It had been a crazy day where things got behind schedule so I didn’t have time to prepare anything to take along to put on the grill. But I had a plan. 

Most marinades are essentially something acidic, like lemon juice or vinegar, with seasonings and some oil. Just like my favorite vinaigrettes. 

En route, we pulled over at a grocery store and I ran in to buy three things: a box of gallon Ziploc bags, some chicken pieces and a bottle of Italian dressing. My husband popped the trunk and helped me open the packages. 

All the chicken went into one of the gallon bags, along with the salad dressing. After one good shake and a little massaging, we slammed the trunk and were on our way again, chicken marinating in a cooler. By the time we had arrived and the grilling started, the chicken was perfect. 

A good vinaigrette is still one of my favorite ways to marinate meat. 

Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette Steak Salad

The marinade/vinaigrette ingredients make about 1 1/4 cups or 295ml so you’ll probably have some left over but it will keep nicely for several days in the refrigerator. Spoon it over sliced avocado or toss it with your favorite greens. 

Ingredients

For the marinade /vinaigrette: 

1 large ripe tomato, cut into six wedges (about 280g)

2 tablespoons bacon fat or olive oil

1/4 cup or 60ml red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 cup or 120ml extra-virgin olive oil

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

12 oz or 340g rump steak

5 oz or 140g cherry-sized mozzarella balls (Ciliegine) 

5 oz or 140g grape tomatoes

Mixed salad greens

To make the marinade/vinaigrette, preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C. 

Toss the tomato wedges with the bacon fat or oil in a pan and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. 

Roast in the preheated oven until the tomatoes are slightly scorched and browned all over, about 15-20 minutes. 

In a blender, puree the tomato with the vinegar and honey. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate in a clean jar until ready to use. 

To prepare and cook the rump steak, put the chilled steak in a Ziploc bag and pour in a 1/2 cup or 120ml of the roasted tomato marinade/vinaigrette, making sure to press the air out of the bag so the steak is covered. Leave to marinate for an hour or two in the refrigerator. This can even be done the day before. 

Cook the steak over a charcoal grill or in a grill pan to your desired doneness. This will vary depending on the thickness of your steak but shouldn’t take more than a few minutes on each side, if you still want some pink inside. 

Remove the rump steak from the heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly.  

To assemble the salad, spread your washed and dried salad greens over a large plate. Scatter the grape tomatoes and mozzarella ciliegine over the greens. Add the sliced rump steak. 

Drizzle with the dressing. Or, if you think you might have leftovers the next day, serve the salad and let everyone drizzle on the vinaigrette on his or her own portion. 

This week our Sunday FunDay group is sharing salad recipes that can be a whole meal to start the New Year off right. Adding protein like beef or cheese or both, is a great way to make a simple salad into a meal that keeps you from feeling hungry again in half an hour. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Happy New Year to all!

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Asian Chicken Ginger Salad.
• Sneha's Recipe: Chicken Pasta Caesar Salad
• Palatable Pastime: Crispy Shell Chicken Taco Salad 
• Karen's Kitchen Stories: Italian Chopped Salad
• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Oriental Chicken Salad 
• Food Lust People Love: Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette Steak Salad
• Our Good Life: Spinach Salad with Creamy Hard Boiled Egg and Homemade Garlic Croutons
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Veggie Pasta Salad

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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