September 17, 2012

Miso Roasted Eggplant & Sweet Potato

I asked my Facebook friends recently to recommend new veggies to add to my list and a couple of folks asked me about Eggplant and Sweet Potatoes. Both of these are pretty routine visitors to my dinner plate. But since I've cheated with some other regular visitors, I decided to bring these two on to the list as well. I often eat Sweet Potatoes - mostly roasted in the oven and eat them plain or I often make E2 Sweet Potato Fries. For eggplant, my go-to recipe has always been an Indian staple - Baigan Bharta, or occasionally Roasted Eggplant Slices. Today, Eggplant becomes New Veggie #42 and Sweet Potato become New Veggie #43.

Miso Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients: 
  1. 1 Eggplant, cut into 8 wedges
  2. 2 Sweet Potatoes, cut into 8 wedges
  3. 2 tbsp Miso
  4. 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
  5. 4 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
  6. Pepper, to taste
  7. 2-3 leaves of Basil, chopped. 
Directions:
Mix miso, soy sauce, ginger-garlic paste and pepper in a bowl to make a thick paste. Brush onto wedges of eggplant and sweet potatoes and broil in the oven on high, or on the grill 8-10 min on each side, until done. Sprinkle with a little sprinkle of salt, if needed  (I didn't add any salt because the Miso and Soy sauce had enough to make it taste just right for me!). Garnish with fresh basil and serve as a side, or eat it all as your entree ;) like me! 

Miso Glazed Eggplant
My Assessment: I didn't use any oil, to even spray the grill, so the eggplant didn't fare well on it (got stuck). Overall, this recipe worked so-so for the eggplant and was decent with the sweetness of the potatoes. I loved the Miso glaze ... it was amazing. ... next time, I'll try it with regular potatoes. 

2 comments:

  1. This looks amazing though I'm not sure I'd brave it sans any oil. Does your PBJ allow for vegetable lard, given it's source?
    Another idea for un-sticking without oil might be to bake first in a shallow steam bath (ie. add a few Tb of water in your baking dish) then broil for the finish. If your eggplant slices are thin enough, you might just escape mushiness (technical term!).
    I've been playing a lot with my broiler and find that if you dice/slice small/thin enough, it can cook through i nminutes while getting those few charred spots that enhance flavor. Requires careful tending if you don't want charcoal though. Though i've never tried it without drizzling oil, I think i might give it a shot now. I've a tub of cubed buitternut squash that I was going to broil with rosemary & EVOO (makes a great lunchbox snack) but I think it might have to be a misco glaze now. Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Chandreyee, my goal is to eat the least amount of oil/fat include plant based oils like EVOO. Plant-derived oils are still 100% fat calories. In the case of EVOO, we've taken all the good stuff (vitamins, antioxidants, fiber) from olives and crushed and concentrated them to make the oil. Did you know it takes about 8lbs of olives to make 500mL olive oil (or so)? I read somewhere recently 'the fat you eat, is the fat you wear' .. kinda catchy and seemed to ring a bell in my head somewhere ... so no I don't use oils at all, if I can help it. I like the idea of using a few tbsp of water in my baking dish. Yesterday, I made the eggplant in whats called a 'Nuwave Oven' .. usually when I broil, I use parchment paper or a Silpat mat underneath my veggies and that works out great ... !! Good luck with the butternut squash ... one of my favorite veggies!!

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