baked not fried

Yep, you guessed it, another recipe. But this isn't just for your knowledge, it's for me too. I can come back here for pictures and the recipe if i ever lose the paper copy.

If there is one thing I love to do that is go to the farmers market in town and get fresh veggies every week. This week I decided to make something I haven't made by myself yet. Eggplant Parmesan! Allen was really excited when he asked what was for dinner that night but I had high expectations to keep up with. The first time Allen had eggplant was when his mom made it a few years ago and this night would be the second.

Traditional Eggplant Parmesan when the eggplant is fried has an about 550 calories per serving (1 cup). So, I decided to make my own that has almost half of those calories.

Beaked Not Fried Eggplant Parmesan

2  sm eggplant, cut into 1/4" slices
1/4 c + 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 lb plum tomatoes or 1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, chopped
20 fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Generously oil 2 non-stick baking sheets.
2. Put eggplant on pans and brush tops with 1/4 cup of the oil. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Bake 30 minutes or until softened.
3. Heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute.

4. Add tomatoes, basil, pepper, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Transfer tomato mixture to food processor and puree until nearly smooth.

6. Coat bottom of 8" x 8" baking pan with 1/2 cup of the sauce. Add one-third of the eggplant, and top with another 1/2 cup of the sauce and 3 tablespoons of the cheese. Repeat twice (eggplant, sauce, cheese), ending with remaining 6 tablespoons cheese.


7. Bake until browned, about 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving): 300 cal, 10 g protein, 24 g carbs, 11 g fiber, 20.5 g fat

Now, When I first bit in I wasn't sure. I am a TOTAL Texture person. So tofu, cottage cheese, sour cream, ricotta cheese, refried  beans, peas out of the question. The texture was.... different (not crunchy or gooey), not bland tasting but needed a little more cheese but overall pretty good. And to my surprise, Allen enjoyed it too. It wasn't his mamas but then neither and I.

scrumptous

Happy 4th! a day late though.  Allen and I got to take a mini vaca for a few days. We drove to Crossville and went camping. No internet. No facebook. Just him and I for 3 days. Monday we did head farther east  to visit his mom and our new nephew. Zamsom Alexander Gillis- 5lbs 12 ozs. Allen was so scared to hold him worried that he was going to drop him. Precious he is and I can't wait until we get to see him again. 

So I have a new recipe... I know your dying to hear what tasty treat I have made now. A picture says a 1000 words so here is a picture.

 Yum! right? Strawberry Oat Muffins.

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup strawberry puree (toss a few large hulled berries into a food processor and pulse until you have 1/2 cup of puree)
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup honey or other liquid sweetener of choice
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup hulled & diced strawberries (measure after chopping)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Coat a 12 cup muffin pan with canola oil cooking spray or line with paper cups.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients (through cinnamon), and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the next 7 ingredients (applesauce through egg).
5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring until moistened. Gently fold in the diced strawberries.
6. Use an ice cream scoop (for uniformly-sized muffins) to spoon batter into prepared muffin pan.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.