Eat Skinny Be Skinny Vegetarian: Eggplant Parmesan

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It was even better today as leftovers for lunch!

Although this is my third dish with the eggplant, I still get nervous every time I go to take a bite. The first try I was turned off by it’s texture in the sandwich and the second time it was squishy because of the oil it cooked in, so I felt I had to give it one strong last try to woo me before I checked it off of my list. I believe in second and third chances in life, so why not bestow the same feelings towards produce? Although I’m not a ravenous carnivore, I do eat a lot of meat. [All jokes aside, kids]. So I decided I’m going to go vegetarian for a few days to see if it has any affect on how I feel. I have an incredibly senstive stomach, so on any given day, I’m facing abdominal discomfort. [TMI? Well it’s my blog, so deal with it!] To alleviate the everyday blahs, I am going to stop eating meat for a bit. K?

I’m fabulously excited to share this recipe because I’m now officially in love with eggplant in this dish. Truthfully though, I’m still not sure I can munch on it without it being covered in cheese and sauce. Either way, this is one of my new favorite Italian dishes. The eggplant is perfectly soft and the sauce and cheese combo magnificently suit the bland flavor of eggplant. It’s rich, flavorful and decadent without carrying the massive calorie and fat count as the chicken variety! Not to mention, it’s a very cheap dish to make [less than $10] and has very, very little prep. Even Elliot, who is weary of things he doesn’t feel comfortable with, ate a few pieces! He would have had more, but he’s slightly lactose intolerant, so i’m happy he didn’t 🙂

Eggplant Parmsean

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 large eggplant [1.5 lbs]
  • 2 cups of low fat, part skim mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup of shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup of marinara sauce
  • Dash of salt and pepper

How To Make It:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Slice eggplant in 1/2 inch slices. Spray the bottom of a casserole dish with cooking spray. Place eggplant on the bottom of the pan. Pour 1/4 cup sauce, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over eggplant. Place eggplant slices over the cheese/sauce mixture. Repeat with cheeses and sauce until ingredients are gone. Sprinkle a little bit more of Parmesan over the dish.

  • Bake for 40 minutes until cheese is bubbly and eggplant is soft.

Nutritional Information per serving [6 servings]: 250 calories, 12 grams of fat, 18 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.

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Comments

  1. Posted by Kate Pet on
    Thursday, February 10th, 2011
    eggplant parm is so good....mmmmm I love it!
  2. Posted by Shannon on
    Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
    This is one of my favorite dishes! Can't wait to try it!!