Anything miniature is cute and miniature eggplants are no exception. I was making one of my rare but fun trips to our large local Asian store and found these beautiful miniature Indian eggplants.
Have you ever tried going to an ethic grocery store? It’s so much fun to wander the aisles and make new discoveries. This particular store has an amazing selection of noodles. It has 3 aisles dedicated to noodles of all different shapes and sizes. Some are made from wheat, others made from rice, mung beans, sweet potato… I get lost in all the wonderful noodles.
Not only is it fun exploring, it could save you money. That’s another great thing about Asian stores, they have very affordable prices. One bag of gluten free noodles ranges from .99 cents to just $2.89. I found my usually tapioca starch and potato starch for just 89 cents a bag. It’s fun looking at affordable new foods to experiment with. The only problem is, I can’t read the most of the product names. (I might be Asian but that doesn’t mean I can read or speak any of the Asian languages.) 😉 I only buy brands that have minimal ingredients and list them in English. I mainly buy noodles, flours, rice and fresh vegetables. I used to spend time studying the sauce aisle but soy and fish are practically in every sauce. The produce section I save for last, which never leaves me without wonder. There are rows and rows of lush green vegetables that I can’t identity. Some are labeled in English but that doesn’t help. I’ve never heard of or seen most of these vegetables. I have no idea what the purpose of each would be used for. I’ve figured out the top row must be herbs that include fresh mint, varieties of basil, and so many other fragrant greens. There are buckets filled with some type of root (lotus?) that looks similar to a tan carrot with holes through the center like swiss cheese. I really need to take some pictures the next time I go.
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups frozen spinach
- 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
- 8-10 mini eggplants
- 1 jar favorite tomato spaghetti sauce
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Thaw frozen spinach in the microwave. Wring out excess water with a kitchen towel.
- Combine cream cheese, garlic powder, salt with spinach. Mix well and set aside.
- Wash eggplants well, especially around the stem areas if leaving intact.
- Slice into quarters 2/3 of the way toward the stem. Any further and you’ll risk the eggplant ripping when filling.
- Fill each eggplant with about 2-3 tablespoons of filling.
- Pour tomato sauce into an 8×8 or 13×9 pan (all depends on how many eggplants and the size to make them fit). Arrange eggplants to fit and cover with foil.
- Bake at 350 for 20-35 minutes or until soft.
Hello, I’m Laura! Thanks for stopping by… I hope this blog will help you or someone you know and love. 
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