MISO GLAZED EGGPLANT

I have had so many messages requesting this miso glazed eggplant recipe! It's so simple (as usual), tasty and beyond healthy. It is super filling and looks pretty impressive too. Eggplants are full of amazing vitamins and minerals, especially manganese which helps your body to form connective tissues, bones, blood clotting factors and sex hormones. It also plays a role in weight loss, calcium absorption and blood sugar regulation. So eggplant is pretty much a super food... As is every fruit and vegetable.

A little hack if you live in Auckland - Sunhill fresh market on St Johns road is where I get all my fresh produce, it is so cheap and always has deals on. I got my eggplant for $1.50 each! Bargain!
I served it with my cauliflower rice, a huge salad, avo and of course some lemon to squeeze over. I also drizzled over this asian bbq sauce... maybe a future recipe too!


Recipe :

Ingredients : serves 4

2 eggplants
4 Tbsp miso paste
4 Tbsp soy sauce or Tamari
2 Tbsp maple syrup


Method :

Cut each eggplant in half, lengthways. Heat up a non stick pan and sear each side of the eggplant for around 2mins, or until slightly charred.
Score the eggplant horizontally and vertically to make a "grid". Cut only 3/4 of the way into the eggplant, as you still want to to be held together as a whole.

Mix together miso, soy sauce, maple syrup in a bowl and spread on the flat side of each eggplant and into each crevasse you have created (this way the glaze steams up through the eggplant when it is cooking! YUM).

Place eggplant (glaze side up) on a lined baked tray and into a 180degree preheated oven.
They take around 20-30mins, keep a close eye on them. The cooking time varies, depending on what size eggplant you have. Once the miso glaze is brown and the eggplant is "plush as a pillow" as I heard one chef explain, you know its ready.
It should be super easy to scoop out and eat, no knife required.

You can serve this any salad you like, rice, quinoa, roast veggies, noodles, anything! It is very versatile. I do recommend adding a sauce to serve, such as bbq, sweet chilli or a tahini/coconut yoghurt dressing and a wedge of lemon to cut through that salty sweetness.