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
Tag: eggplant
Zacusca (Eggplant Pepper Spread)
Eggplant may be a challenging vegetable for many to cook. It doesn’t have a ton of flavor on its own, but it does a great job of soaking up the flavors of other things. Think of eggplant as a flavor sponge. This is one of the reasons you’ll see it baked or grilled as a cooking method, because it soaks up all that deep smoky flavor. An eggplant is mostly water, so it doesn’t have much caloric value. While it’s not very nutritionally dense as far as vitamins and minerals, it does have a decent amount of fiber and is rich in phytochemicals, such as anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants. These are particularly dense in the skin of the eggplant.
Traditionally, zacusca recipes remove the skin from the eggplant, but if you’re using a food processor, the skins will break down into the spread. Just give them a rough chop first. Alternatively, you can stuff your leftover skins like you would a stuffed cabbage. Then if you topped that off with the zacsuca, what a meal that would make!
Eggplant Pizza Bites
Are you craving pizza but want to reduce your carbohydrate intake? Try these vegetarian eggplant pizzas that are full of flavor and are healthy to boot! Buy low-fat mozzarella to help reduce the saturated fat.
Eggplant Parmesan
This recipe is not only hearty and comforting, but it’s also healthy! The eggplant is breaded and baked instead of fried, and the low fat cheese helps lower saturated fat and calories. It’s a great choice for a vegetarian meal, and you won’t miss the meat!
Braised Eggplant
Served with a side of warm pita bread, this Greek-style eggplant recipe makes a satisfying meatless meal.