Mother's Day Thai Surprise

Happy belated Mother's Day to all you mothers! I can't believe it's been so long since I posted a recipe! The month of May is always crammed with so many things! The school year is coming to an end and my oldest daughter is graduating high school. It seems I've been doing everything BUT cooking and posting!

When Mother's Day came along, I was thrilled my hubby and two lovely daughters made a special vegan dish for me. They wouldn't tell me what it was, but I LOVED it! I had to post it because it was so good and full of great flavors; lime, Thai pepper, mint, avocado, eggplant, cashews, etc. I grabbed my camera and took a quick shot of it:

Not the best picture, but it was so delicious! Here is the recipe they used and how they made it (originating from smitten kitchen):

Thai Vegetable Salad

2 purple eggplants (3 pounds total)

1 tsp grated lime zest

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce

1 red Thai chili or serrano pepper, minced

1 TBS light brown sugar

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1 Haas avocado, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, cut into julienne strips

1 medium English cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/2 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced

3 TBS chopped mint

1/2 cup roasted cashews, coarsely chopped

Snipped chives for garnish

Slice eggplant crosswise and pan roast over medium-high heat or grill with a little olive oil until browned nicely. Slice thin and set aside.

In small bowl, whisk/mix lime zest, lime juice, soy sauce, chili, brown sugar, garlic and lemon zest. Stir 3 TBS of this dressing into the eggplant.

In large serving bowl, combine all ingredients, pour dressing over top and toss until mixed thoroughly. Enjoy!

Thank you my lovelies. I enjoyed Mother's Day tremendously.