Grilled Eggplant with Balsamic Vinegar

When I grill, I love to cook the entire meal on the grill. (Check back for my grilled garlic bread!) I've tried grilling all sorts of vegetables and one that stands up to the heat very well is eggplant. I've seen a lot of variations on this recipe, so feel free to be creative and make it your own by adding flavors that you love, like ginger or or a little chipotle. If you have vegetarians in the family, a slice of grilled eggplant can also serve as a burger substitute.

In the picture, the eggplant on the left was made with honey and the eggplant on the right was made with brown sugar. I like them both equally well. I left the peel on the honey version and cut it off the brown sugar version. The peel is perfectly edible but for presentation purposes, I think the peeled version looked prettier.


Grilled Eggplant with Balsamic Vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 minced garlic clove
1 eggplant

1. Oil the grill rack and start the grill.
2. Mix everything except the eggplant in a shallow bowl.
   
3. Peel the eggplant. (Optional)
4. Cut the eggplant into half-inch inch slices.
5. Lay each slice in the olive oil mixture and flip, so that both sides are covered. Do this for each slice. Let the slices sit for at least 10 minutes (it's okay if they're piled in the bowl), flipping them one or two more times to be sure they're all covered with the marinade.
6. Grill for five minutes, turn over and grill another five minutes. You may need to adjust the cooking time depending on the temperature of your grill.

Enjoy!

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