If you’re anything like me, you are cooking up a storm over the holidays. I’m constantly looking to create recipes that everyone will love. Recipes that will feed a crowd, please a crowd and recipes that will keep everyone healthy, happy and full! My skinny (with big, big flavor) eggplant parmesan does just that.

I adore eggplants! I have ever since I was a little girl. My Grandma from Argentina used to make marinated eggplant all the time when I was young – it was incredible, so tasty and full of spices. And, my parent’s friend was from Northern Italy and used to make stuffed eggplant for us regularly too. It was heavenly! So now, as an adult, I crave eggplant all the time. So much so that  I use eggplant in so many recipes! I find them very filling and so tasty when cooked right!

Eggplant is very nutrient dense, very low calorie, and high in antioxidants that can help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

It’s high in fiber and great to help control blood sugar. Each cup contains only 3 grams of fiber and only 20 calories! If you’ve been following me for a while now, you know that I’m extra salt sensitive. I’ve found the perfect store-bought marinara sauce for this recipe too. It’s cheap, delicious and low in salt. Perfecto! I hope you have a chance to make this for you’re “crowd” over the holiday season. Happy, healthy cooking. xx Janine

Janine’s Skinny (with Big, Big Flavor) Eggplant Parmesean

Makes 4 large pieces/servings

Eggplant sliced just thick enough!

Ingredients:

1 large onion – diced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 medium eggplants – cut into 1/8 inch thick rounds (thin), keep peel on

12 oz part skim ricotta cheese

1 organic egg

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 Tablespoon parmesan cheese

1 cup part skim shredded Mozzarella cheese

2 1/2 cups (No Salt) Marinara Sauce – I use Trader Joes No Salt Organic Marinara Sauce, 28 oz jar

Pepper to taste

 

My Favorite Low-Salt Marina Sauce

 

Instructions:

In a frying pan, saute the diced onion in 1 Tablespoon olive oil on medium heat – until the onions turn brown. Set aside.

Place the eggplant rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Single layer, try not to overlap eggplant rounds. The 2 eggplants make around 3-4 sheets of baked eggplant rounds.

Bake in the oven on 375 degrees until the rounds are brown. Take out of the oven and set the rounds aside, cover with foil.

In a large mixing bowl add the Marinara sauce, the egg, ricotta, garlic, oregano, nutritional yeast, parmesan cheese, onion and pepper to taste. Mix together well.

In a baking pan approx 9×9 inch, put 2 teaspoons olive oil on the bottom of the pan. Spread the bottom and the sides of the pan with oil as well.

Next, place a layer of eggplant rounds on the bottom on the pan – you can overlap here.

Add a layer of the Marinara mixture on top of the eggplant – around 1/2 cup or a little more of the Marinara mixture.

Next, add a sprinkle of the part skim mozzarella cheese on top of the marinara mixture.

Start over again with a layer of eggplant, then a layer of marinara mixture, then a sprinkle of the mozzarella cheese.

You will have approx 3 layers – ending with a top layer of Marinara mixture. On the very last layer of marinara sauce you can sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top.

Bake covered with foil for 40 minutes on 350 degrees.

Uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the top is light golden brown.

Enjoy!