Beef-and-Veggie Stir-fry

Andy is in Senegal in West Africa on a nine-day mission trip, so I'm taking advantage of his absence by making dishes that he wouldn’t like. In reality, Andy is not picky and will eat or, at least try, almost anything. However he does like cuisine that ends in “ese” (Japanese, Chinese). I love stir-fries because of all the vegetables and the spicy, complex flavor of ginger and other Asian seasonings. Feel free to substitute your favorite veggies. I served the dish over brown basmati rice. Enjoy!

Beef-and-Veggie Stir-fry
1 small eggplant, cut into cubes
1 small piece of steak, cut into thin strips
Montreal steak seasoning
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. fresh minced ginger
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 small orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup sugar snap peas
5 mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Thai red curry paste
1 tsp. Thai red chile sauce
2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot cooked rice

1. Place eggplant in a bowl; sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes; rinse and drain. Set aside.
2. Sprinkle steak with steak seasoning. Cook in 1 Tbsp. hot oil until browned on all sides; remove steak from skillet.
3. Add remaining 1 tsp. oil to skillet, and heat. Add garlic and ginger, and cook 1 minute. Add in carrots, next 4 ingredients, and eggplant. Cook, stirring often, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in soy sauce and next 3 ingredients; return steak to skillet. Cook 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve stir-fry over rice.