7 Amazing Eggplant Recipes

7 Amazing Eggplant Recipes

On the road to healthy eating, I find you need as many options as possible at your disposal. Let’s face it, half the battle is beating boredom.

These 7 healthy and delicious eggplant recipes will help you shake up your boring old mean plan while packing in a ton of nutrients.

Eggplant can seem a little intimidating to cook with, but it’s actually pretty easy. And it’s worth it, as this purple vegetable is packed full of nutritional value. High in fiber and a number of vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins and folate, eggplant is also full of healthy antioxidants and phytonutrients like flavonoids.

Not only will all of these ingredients help you stay fit and healthy, but one phytonutrient found in eggplant – nasunin – can be some pretty powerful brain food. Add to this the ability to lower cholesterol and maintain heart health, and eggplant is a pretty smart choice.

Here are 7 awesome eggplant recipes to get started…

7 Simple and Healthy Eggplant Recipes

Oven-Roasted Eggplant – A simple and easy side dish that takes just a few minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 medium sized eggplants
• ¾ cups of extra virgin olive oil
• 3 lemons
• 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

Directions: Heat your oven to 450 degrees (F). Slice each eggplant lengthwise without cutting all the way through. Arrange on a baking sheet, open face up. Slice lemons and insert the lemon slices into the eggplant slits, followed by garlic and oregano sprigs. Drizzle in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast covered for 30-40 minutes or until soft.

Grilled Eggplant Salad – This is one of my favorites, and totally delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant
• 2 tablespoons of canola oil
• 2 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of ginger root, finely chopped
• ½ cup of cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Heat your grill to medium-high heat. Slice eggplant into ½-inch rounds. Combine 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and brush eggplant before placing on the grill, topping with salt and pepper. Grill eggplant until tender and a little charred, usually 4-5 minutes per side. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining oil and soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and cilantro. Drizzle over eggplant and serve.

Grilled Eggplant & Feta Pizza – For something a little hearty, add grilled eggplant to this low-fat pizza.

Ingredients:

• grilled eggplant rounds (using directions from recipe above)
• 1 cup of prepared marinara sauce
• 3 cups of fresh baby spinach
• Best-Ever Pizza Dough
• 1 cup of low-fat feta cheese

Directions: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees (F). Once eggplant rounds are prepared using the salad recipe above, top pizza dough with marinara sauce, spinach, eggplant, and crumbled feta cheese (in that order). Bake on middle rack for 8-12 minutes.