Marinated Eggplant and Tofu with Greens

Eggplant is one of those veggies I always forget about.  I don't often plan to make recipes with eggplant, it never pops out from the produce shelves at me, and if I do manage to get one in the cart and into my fridge, I often forget about it until it is past its veggie prime.  Not this time!

I brought one home and was determined to use it up and make something yummy!  Once I got home from the store I cubed it, threw it in a plastic bag with a nice marinade... and let it sit there for a few days... marinating and totally not forgetting about it. ;)

I decided to cook it up this morning while my little potato napped and threw in some extra firm tofu to soak up some of the excess sauce.  Add in some greens, serve on top of brown rice, and you totally have a fantastic, filling lunch.

Hope you enjoy my forgotten eggplant recipe!  You certainly don't have to marinade for as long as I TOTALLY meant to either.

Marinated Asian Eggplant with Tofu and Greens
Time: 4 hour-2 day marinade, 5 minute prep, 20 minute saute
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
    Eggplant Marinade:
        1 small eggplant, top trimmed off, cubed
        2 Tbsp sweet red chili sauce
        1 Tbsp teryaki sauce
        1 Tbsp soy sauce
        1 Tbsp rice vinegar
        1 Tbsp sesame seeds
     
    Saute:
        Eggplant Marinade (do not drain)
        1- 12 to 14 oz block extra firm tofu (I used Soyganic Organic Extra Firm Tofu)
        4-6 cups chopped dark greens (I used kale.)

    Green onions and sriracha to top

Instructions:
1.)  Put all of the marinade ingredients in a medium sized ziplock bag.  Seal and give a good toss.  Let marinade, tossing occasionally, for 4 hours or up to two days.
2.)  After the eggplant has marinaded, prep the remaining ingredients.  Drain and pat the tofu dry, gently squeezing out some of the excess moisture before you cube it.
3.)  Over medium-high heat, add the cubed tofu and eggplant, reserving the extra juices from the marinade.  Saute, adding the rest of the marinade gradually.  Continue to saute until most of the liquid has evaporated (10-15 minutes).
4.)  Reduce heat and add the greens.  Stir in and heat until lightly wilted and bright green.
5.)  Serve hot over brown rice and top with chopped green onions and sriracha if desired.

Amy's Notes:
If you have more foresight than I do, you could also marinade the tofu with the eggplant, but this is not necessary.  Smart, but not necessary.

As a side note (and self-high five), the green onions pictured in this recipe were grown from green onion bottoms I saved and kept in water on my kitchen window sill.  I'm trying for a third growth now.... we'll see what happens!

Health and Happiness,

Amy