Trim the stems off the eggplants and make three lengthwise cuts along each eggplant. In a pan, heat a little oil and stir-fry the marinated ground pork until fully cooked. In another pan ...

Add the pork and garlic and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the pork is browned and cooked through, 3 minutes. Stir in the scallions and serve with lime wedges.

This recipe channels the same flavors of bright vinegar and dark soy sauce, using eggplant as the base, with the addition of ground pork for extra richness.

The nice thing about this particular eggplant recipe is that it is suitable any time of year for just about any occasion.

Try swapping ground Italian sausage or ground turkey for the pork. You can also add seasonal vegetables (such as spinach, broccoli or eggplant) and experiment with different pasta shapes.