I love to cook, but I don’t always have the time to prepare a big meal. A quick-to-fix meal like this Eggplant Parmesan can really come in handy when pinched for time. This is a dish I made for our Sunday meal after returning from a late day run at about 6:25pm. We had a delicious dinner prepared and eaten before 7pm.
It worked great in feeding our family of hungry appetites!
Why it Works:
Eggplant takes center stage at this meal. Eggplant is an outstanding source of filling fiber. One eggplant carries about 16 grams! The brillant purple skin coating carries a potent phytonutrient, anthocyanin, to support free radical-scavenging activity. Eggplant also serves as a source of vitamin C and iron. I love sneaking garlic into just about every meal to take advantage of its anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. Cherry tomatoes slip in a touch of the powerful antioxidant vitamin C. The parmesan cheese makes the meal more well-rounded as a source of protein while the bread crumbs serve as a source of carbohyrates.
Try complementing this dish with options such a fresh salad, whole grain bread, quinoa, or rice, and cup of low fat milk. It’s fast, easy, and delicious!
Eggplant Parmesan
- 1 eggplant, sliced into long strip-like pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1/2 c. onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 c. marinara sauce
- 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2-3 tbsp. plain bread crumbs
Directions:
Preheat oven to the high broil setting.
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large cast-iron skillet. Add and sauté the garlic for about one minute before adding the onion. Sauté the onion and garlic about 1-2 minutes before adding the eggplant. Add and sauté the eggplant for about 4-5 minutes before adding the cherry tomatoes and salt. Cook all of the vegetables until the eggplant is tender, tossing and stirring frequently.
Remove the cast iron skillet from heat. Evenly distribute the vegetables across the pan. Top and spread the marinara sauce over the cooked vegetables. Then evenly top the vegetables and marinara with Parmesan cheese, and lastly evenly distribute the bread crumbs.
Place the cast iron skillet in the oven and broil on high for about 3 minutes. Remove and cool slightly before serving.
** If a cast iron skillet is not available, transfer the vegetables to a baking dish before topping with marinara, cheese, and bread crumbs. Then broil for 3 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.
Each serving is approximately 155 calories, 7.5 grams of fat, 16 grams of carbohydrate, 5.5 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of protein
