Eggplant can be a challenging vegetable to cook. If it’s not cooked right, you get the equivalent to an oil-soaked chunk of memory foam, but cooked correctly, you get the most savory, soft, creamy vegetable you could imagine. Eggplant is also a great vegetable to add to your diet because its nutrient dense with about 3 grams of fiber for 1 cup, an excellent source of potassium, and the skin is rich in anthocyanins, which can help reduce inflammation, and may help improve cardiovascular health. I strongly encourage you to try eggplant, and this is a great starter recipe. –Dana Mealing, RDN, LDN, CIEC, Tevis Center for Wellness community nutrition educator
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, unpeeled, ends trimmed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 Tablespoons ghee
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Halve the eggplant lengthwise and then slice a thin strip off the rounded edges in the same direction to create flat eggplant halves. Make shallow cuts in a crosshatch pattern on the flesh side. Sprinkle the eggplant with 1 teaspoon of salt and let it rest for 30 minutes. The salt will draw water out. The crosshatch pattern helps the salt penetrate the eggplant. After 30 minutes, the eggplant will have visible water droplets on its surface. Pat it dry using paper towels.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat the ghee over medium-high heat in a large, 12-inch oven-safe skillet. Place the two eggplant halves in the skillet, flesh side down. Cook the eggplant for about 5 minutes until the bottom is browned. If the pan becomes too hot, reduce the heat to medium. Add more ghee if the pan becomes too dry.
Turn the heat off. Flip the eggplant. Sprinkle it with black pepper and garlic powder. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Roast the eggplant for 25-30 minutes until tender. Serve immediately. Makes two servings.
Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: ½ eggplant
Calories: 190; Fat: 14.5g; Sat. Fat: 2g; Carbs: 15.5g; Fiber: 7.5g; Protein: 3g; Sodium: 587mg
Recipe adapted from: Roasted Eggplant – Healthy Recipes Blog (healthyrecipesblogs.com)
