Miso Eggplant

Recently I made this broiled eggplant from the taste space.  It was lovely.  I used a regular eggplant instead of a Japanese one, and since it was so big, I cut it into quarters instead of in half.  I ate this eggplant hot, cold, on its own and in salads, including in the mediterranean wheat berry salad (at right).

Since I didn't have sake or mirin, I just used seasoned rice vinegar, and since it was seasoned, I didn't add any extra sugar.

Baked Asian Eggplant with Miso

(from taste space)

Ingredients

1 eggplant, cut in half lengthwise (I actually cut this one giant eggplant into quarters lengthwise)

1 tsp sesame oil (optional)

2 tsp olive oil

4 tsp seasoned rice vinegar (or 2 tsp saké + 2 tsp mirin + 1 tsp sugar)

1 tbsp white miso

1 green onion, sliced (optional)

1/2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 430*F.  Oil baking tray.
2. Wash eggplants and cut lengthwise. Brush the inside sides of the eggplant sides with the sesame oil and olive oil.  Bake for 30 minutes till soft and slightly brown.
3. Bring rice vinegar to a gentle boil on low heat. Add white miso and stir till smooth. Remove from heat. (Leftover miso mix may be stored in the fridge.)
4. When eggplants are cooked and soft, switch the oven to the broil mode. Brush eggplant tops with miso mixture and grill for about 5 minutes till the miso bubbles. Garnish with green onion or  some toasted white sesame seeds if you are so inclined. Serve warm.  Serves about 2.

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Since I love cooking so much, I don't actually often take advantage of all the awesome vegan restaurant food LA has to offer, but last weekend I did get the chance to have brunch at the new Sage Vegan Bistro in Echo Park.  It was really excellent, and the prices were ridiculously good!  I'll definitely go back.

I had a fried rice scramble with fennel, asparagus, orange, lentils, cranberries, tofu, red peppers, almonds, dill, cilantro, and sour cream (at left).

My friend Denise had the spinach, avocado, and walnut sausage florentine (at right), which came with a ridiculously buttery hollandaise sauce.

And of course there was ice cream: Denise had strawberry lemonade and coconut chip, and I had coconut chip and cinnamon latte!  They were good, but I still like Scoops' ice cream the best.