Ingredients

• 4 eggplant, diced w/skin on
• 1 large onion, diced
• 8-12 green pitted olives, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp. capers
• 1 1/2 oz. white vinegar
• 1 TBS sugar
• 3/4 can tomato sauce
• 1 can tomato paste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Garlic powder or granulated garlic
• Parsley flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Place eggplant on cookie sheet, sprinkle with olive oil and toss to cover all pieces. Bake at 375 degrees until lighly brown. In the meantime, bring water to a boil and add celery, olives and capers and continue to boil for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a deep pan, saute onion in olive oil until clear, add the olives, capers, celery, white vinegar and 1 TBS sugar. Toss mixing all ingredients well. Let the liquid absorb then add about ½ to ¾ can of tomato sauce. If the sauce is not thick, add a little tomato paste to thicken sauce. Sprinkle garlic powder or granulated garlic and freshly ground pepper. Simmer for about ½ hour. Remove from heat, add the eggplant to the mixture and gently toss until eggplant is coated. Taste and, if necessary, add salt. Serve cold as an appetizer or as a side dish.