eggplant – The Clean Eating Mama

Brrrrr!

It has been cold this winter! My bones are cold, my feet are cold, my hands are cold… but my stomach is nice and toasty! Why? Because I have heaps and heaps of hot Ratatouille in my belly!!!

Big chunks of veggies, tomato broth and an amazing array of herbs makes this dish one of those meals that is great for lunch or dinner, alone of with a crowd. Want to come over and have some?

~ Ratatouille ~
Makes roughly 3 quarts
Adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

1 large can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
4-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large eggplant (1 pound), cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large yellow onions, diced large
6 fresh garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 bell peppers (any color – I used red), seeded and diced large
2 large zucchini (1 pound total), diced large
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
1 tablespoon basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the entire can of tomatoes on a baking sheet. Take a knife and chop them into 1/2 inch pieces. Drizzle with olive oil (approx 2-3 tablespoons), salt, pepper and died basil flakes. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.

In a large bowl, toss eggplant with a good pinch of salt. In a large heavy pot, heat about 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, a pinch of salt and pepper and let cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until onions and garlic are soft, about 5 minutes. Add peppers and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes minutes. Season with salt and pepper and herbs.

The add tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, bay leaf and water to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook partially covered until veggies are soft. Approx 20 minutes. Taste to see if you need to add any more seasonings. Serve with warm crusty bread and a salad.

XxOo Tasha

Eggplant.

For those that know me knows that I have always been a little scared to eat it. Why? I am not sure. It’s purple, oddly shaped and changes texture and color when cooked. I always thought it was too soggy for my palate. I bought one at the farmer’s market and have been experimenting with it the past week because I am DETERMINED to eat it and DETERMINED to enjoy it.

Well my friends, I finally enjoyed eggplant. In fact, I inhaled my dinner tonight. Even my husband was impressed.

This recipe is adapted from Dinosaur Egg’s recipe.

I love the crispy bread crumbs with the soft eggplant. And the mushroom marinara? Hearty, rich and satisfying!

I dredged the eggplant slices in wheat flour, soymilk, mustard and homemade bread crumbs. Baked to perfection.

While my little eggplant wonders were baking I was creating this hearty marinara. The basics: EVOO, yellow onion, garlic, mushrooms and fresh parsley.

After everything was happily mingling in my pan I added some pasta sauce.

Simmer, simmer, simmer.

I heated up some left over whole wheat noodles and assembled what possibly might be one of my new favorite dinner ideas.

Recipe:

Eggplant

1/4 cup whole wheat flower
1/4 cup almond milk, or other non-dairy milk
2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs – I crushed my homemade croutons
1 medium eggplant
salt and pepper

Mushroom Marinara

1 tablespoon EVOO
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup yellow onion
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
your favorite pasta sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Get 3 bowls ready for your eggplant breading. In one bowl add flour and salt and pepper.

In one bowl add milk and mustard. Wisk together.

In one bowl add your bread crumbs.

Slice eggplant into rounds or half rounds about 1/2 thick. Dredge each piece into the flour, then milk, then bread crumbs.

Place each round on a backing sheet that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 10-12 minutes on each side.

While baking, heat EVOO in a large saucepan on medium. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms. Let cook until soft – about 8 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic! Stir, stir, stir! Season with salt.

Add parsley and let cook for another few minutes.

Add 3-4 cups of pasta sauce and let simmer for a good 10 minutes. Check to see if salt or pepper need to be added.

Once the eggplant has been baked, plate 4 pieces then top with marinara sauce. Serves 3-4

You can add cooked pasta like did, or eat it plain. Either way it will be delish!

Category: eggplant

Ratatouille 2

Crispy Eggplant with Mushroom Marinara