Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

So I wonder how many of you out there are going to tell me what Grumpy does whenever I mention eggplant? I can guarantee you it isn't nice words! However, you won't hear nasty words out of me when eggplant is mentioned!

I had garlic eggplant for the first time several years ago. I happened to go into Wegmans after work one day and they had a chinese bar where you could serve yourself what you wanted. I saw garlic eggplant and had to try it. I have been hooked ever since. However, after having the eggplant at Wegmans I had a hard time finding it anywhere else. I have never forgotten how much I enjoyed it though so I recently bought some baby eggplants and went to the internet to find a recipe. I found one on allrecipes.com that sounded very much like what I wanted! So, I made me some Eggplant with Garlic Sauce....and Grumpy had dinner with no veggie. ;o)

Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

Adapted from Allrecipes Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

**the recipe on AR calls for garlic powder and white sugar. I prefer to use fresh herbs and spices whenever possible and brown sugar just seems right in Asian flavors. :) I also adjusted the portion sizes - and this recipe will serve 2 at approximately 98 calories per serving.

Heat the canola oil in a skillet over high heat. Cook and stir the eggplant until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the water, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Cover and simmer until all the water is absorbed. Meanwhile, mix sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, and oyster sauce in a bowl until sugar and cornstarch have dissolved. Stir sauce into the eggplant, making sure to evenly coat the eggplant. Cook until the sauce has thickened. Garnish with green onion.