Roasted Eggplant + Miso Sesame Sauce

You’ve heard the judges on CHOPPED dictate it 1000s of times:  A delicious sauce is what ties together a meal. It’s that addictive flavor that keeps us remembering OMG, I want that! AGAIN…ON EVERYTHING!

Unfortunately, often what tastes so good is not exactly good for us. Traditionally prepared sauces are typically the most calorie dense element on our plate given high fat + sugar content. O, then there’s the sodium! Bottled sauces much the same, but on top of that, loaded with additional preservatives to extend shelf life.

Tired of calorie bomb sauces + dressings? We are too!

WANT FLAVOR, WITHOUT THE GUILT?

You don’t have to choose between eating plain, bland, dry foods or colossally wrecking your macros + never reaching your health + fitness goals.

This quick + easy sauce is low in sodium, sugar + fat! It packs a ton of flavor + also a little funk thanks to the white miso. It elevates every protein. Delicious on steamed or roasted veggies, as well as salads.

PRO TIP! For SALAD DRESSING:  Add a lil water by the tablespoon to “thin” sauce to the viscosity you seek.

One of our go-to Dinners is this BOWL OF CHAOS:

Steamed Broccoli / MIDDLE EASTERN ROASTED EGGPLANT / Roasted Butternut Squash / protein, such as Baked Salmon, Grilled Chicken or Filet Mignon with a drizzle of our Miso Sesame. Whitney also loves the combination of this tangy sauce with a tablespoon of our PISTACHIO PESTO. OMG! Asian + Italian? Yup, fusing cuisines again. Truthfully, the herbaceousness of basil + nuttiness of pistachios totally complements the funky salty miso, deep roasted sesame, + spicy gingery goodness! Try it!

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp White Miso
2 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Tahini
2 inch piece of fresh Ginger, skin removed, coarsely chopped (so immersion blender can puree)
1/3 cup Seasoned Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Limes, juiced (or approximately 1/3 cup lime juice)
1/4 tsp Cayenne
1 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup Garbanzo Beans, drained + rinsed
2 Tbsp or more filtered water (optional)
 
DIRECTIONS
This one is SUPER simple. Place all the ingredients except garbanzos in a mixing cup. Blitz up using an immersion blender. Add garbanzos gradually to thicken to desired consistency. If you have over thickened, add water by the tablespoon to thin. Enjoy. YUMMY!!!
 
Store in refrigerator. Lasts at least 2 weeks. We’ve never made it much longer to test, but ultimately cannot promise it will last longer as ours does not contain the preservatives + higher sodium of bottled sauces that extend lifespan. Also high acid content can get increasingly funky, so assume flavor may change a bit beyond 2 weeks.
 
Yields: Approximately 16  2 Tbsp servings.

So, if you want 3- 4 Tbsp, YES, you can! When you make sauces + dressings cleaner + healthier, you can enjoy a larger serving size! However, we used the standard 2 Tbsp serving size so you can compare exactly with other recipes +/or bottled sauces/dressings.

NUTRITION INFO

Fitness + Fuel Miso Sesame Sauce

44 Calories, 2.9g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 4.3g Carb, 0.4g Fiber, 2g Sugar, 0.8g Protein, 139.5mg Sodium

VS:

Sunbasket Sesame Miso Dressing 

200 Calories, 21g Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, 3g Carb, 0g Fiber, 2g Sugar, 1g Protein, 550mg Sodium