Spicy Glazed Eggplant

                                                            *Shown with salad and broccoli with chesse and bacon

Verdict: Success (*if you're a vegetarian, otherwise a semi)

Neighbor-worthy*

I have never really been an eggplant person until recently so I am ripping this whole thing off.  My bf's mother doesn't respond to the word "no" in her dining room so it all started there.  Then I realized my mother, who had to learn the word "no" at our table on account of me being a bitch growing up, makes the world's best eggplant parm. 

So here I am about to embark on a new venture: an eggplant dish. Never bought one, sliced one or even had one in my apartment.  This one could totally suck which will piss me off 'cause it's a million degrees out and the last place I want to be is at a stove...but my guy wants to eat on my building's terrace and I want to be nice.  I'm playing with this recipe.

Heat a grill or grill pan or George Formany apparatus (I use the Griddler) to High.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1" piece fresh ginger roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1  teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 medium eggplant ends trimmed and cut into 1/2" thick slices lengthwise

6 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves

Heat oil in a small sauce pan over Medium heat.  Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook until soft.  Remove from heat and whisk in the hoisin, vinegar and soy sauce until combined.

Brush eggplant on both sides with the oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place eggplant on the grill until golden and a wee bit charred.  Brush on some of the glaze and turn over to continue grilling until cooked through (brushing some more glaze on it).  remove from grill and brush with more glaze.  Plate it and sprinkle with some cilantro.

*Notes:  Hmmm...  Good/Bad: This recipe tasted great, but it really isn't/wasn't a meal to me.  My bf needs meat for a meal (healthy meals, of course) and I hate to admit it but I do to.  As you can see above, I had to add cheese and bacon to the side of broccoli to attempt to make it feel meal-worthy.  This was more of an appetizer in my book and most likely in the books of fellow carnivores.

Tweaks:
I removed the ginger--I hate ginger.  I find it too overpowering and can't ever get the taste out of my mouth.  If you love ginger, by all means use it. 

Cheats:

I copied this whole damn recipe as I've never worked with eggplant before.

If you have a more fulfilling veggie entree, by all means, send to me!   themaniccheater@gmail.com