Easy Eggplant and Cucumber Pickles
2–3 Japanese cucumbers or hothouse (English) cucumbers, sliced
1 Japanese eggplant, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
Serves 4–6
Preparation time: 5 mins
+ overnight standing
1 Rub the cucumber and eggplant slices with salt in a medium bowl. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap or baking paper and place a smaller bowl with a heavy weight on top to press the vegetables down. Let stand 8 hours in the refrigerator.
2 Wash very well under cold water to remove excess salt before serving. Place a few slices of each vegetable in a small side dish to serve.
Japanese cucumbers are similar to English hothouse cucumbers, small and slender with a sweeter flavor and a smoother texture than large cucumbers. Baby cucumbers or pickling gherkins may also be used.
Japanese eggplants are thin, tender and purple, about 3–4 in (8–10 cm) long with sweet and tender flesh.
Simple Crab Omelet
A versatile and easy dish, this omelet is also very tasty with a filling of cooked ground pork instead of crabmeat. You may also add cut-up ripe tomatoes.
3 tablespoons oil
3 shallots, minced
11/4 cups (150 g) cooked crabmeat
4 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 green onion (scallion), sliced
1/4 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper Fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), to garnish
Serves 2 to 4
Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
1 Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Stir-fry the shallot for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and translucent, then add the crabmeat, mix well and transfer to a mixing bowl.
2 Add the egg, fish sauce, green onion and black pepper to the crabmeat mixture and mix well.
3 Heat the remaining oil in the same wok or skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the egg mixture and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until crispy and light brown. Flip the omelet over and pan-fry the other side in the same manner. Carefully remove the omelet from the pan with a wide spatula.
4 Place the omelet on a serving platter, garnish with the fresh coriander leaves and serve immediately.