Roasted Eggplant with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Savory peanut sauce is one of those things that makes absolutely anything taste good.  Cardboard? Handful of random leaves?  Tree bark?  Just drizzle on a little spicy peanut sauce, and you have lunch.  If you are not into cardboard, roasted eggplant makes a great vehicle to transfer peanut sauce directly to your mouth.

I typically make a double batch of the sauce to have on hand, just in case I need to whip up a quick meal of tree bark and leaves.  It does reheat beautifully.

Seriously, this is wonderful on roasted winter squash, shrimp, grilled mushrooms, chicken…whatever you have on hand.  For the eggplant I plan on one medium eggplant per two people, and I just partially peel it, cut it into strips, then brush or spray with olive oil to lightly coat.  Spread out on a baking sheet and roast at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, stirring once, until it is golden brown.  Here is the delectable sauce:

Spicy Peanut Sauce
1 cup coconut milk (regular or light–light will be a little thinner in texture)
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
juice of one lime
2 green onions, trimmed and chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (adjust to taste)
chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except cilantro and bring to a low boil, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and serve over the roasted eggplant, sprinkling with the cilantro just before serving.

Thanks for reading,

-Angela