Baked Eggplant!

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PictureHello, my foodie friends!  I hope you all are enjoying your weekend and catching up on some much needed R&R especially since we lost an hour of sleep last night!

Today, I am sharing my baked eggplant recipe! I have been wanting to make this recipe for the last couple of weeks but never got around to it until now!!!

Since moving almost 3 years ago my husband and I are pretty fortunate to have a lot of  “stuff” available to us, especially some pretty amazing grocery stores!   One of my favorite grocery stores is Fresh Thyme Market. Not only is this store convenient for us to get to, but the prices for most of the food are reasonable and the quality of food is top notch.  I can buy as much  HIGH quality, USDA Organic and verified Non-GMO food as I want without breaking the bank.  Which is how buying food should be in my personal opinion.

Eggplant is such an incredibly beautiful and nutrient dense powerhouse vegetable that doesn’t necessarily get the attention I feel it deserves.  Or perhaps it doesn’t get this much-needed attention because people truly have no idea how to cook it let alone what to make with it when they get home. 

You certainly eat FIRST with your eyes and eggplant is no exception.  When making eggplant my goal is always to keep the skin on for additional nutrients and dietary fiber and to NEVER fry this vegetable.  Why? When you fry eggplant you loose nutrients and gain the additional fat from whatever oil or fat you used to fry it in.  When you bake an eggplant you retain these nutrients without the additional negative factors like excess fat.  When selecting your eggplant look for one that is not too big or too small (like goldilocks). I usually look them over to make sure there are no physical blemishes or anything wrong with the eggplant and choose one or two that are medium in size because from experience this size seems to be just right.

When I am grocery shopping and come across and see eggplant I think of my time I spent in Italy studying Nutrition and the lifestyle of the Italian culture or more specifically ‘the Mediterranean Diet.’  I am taken back to the sights and smells of the aroma of food spilling out into the streets from the many open cafes and it takes me home, home to Italy.  I find myself, within the last 4-5 years eating more and more like my Mediterranean side of the family.  Or perhaps, being Italian myself, the Italian culture and their lifestyle genetically calls my name. Whatever the reason(s) I want to share my take on Baked Eggplant!

Ciao!!

Ingredients

  • 1-2 medium eggplant, sliced into ½-inch thick rounds (8 to 10 slices)
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅔ cup plain panko bread crumbs (To make it Gluten-Free make sure the Panko mix says Gluten-Free)
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon Himalayan Sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • cooking oil spray
  • Tomato Sauce of your choice or 1 large 28 oz can diced Tomatoes and you can add fresh diced onions and garlic.
  • ½ cup of mozzarella cheese and ½ cup Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over eggplant
  • 1 cup fresh basil finely chopped, or ¼ c. dried basil
  • ¼ c dried parsley to sprinkle over eggplant

Directions:

  1. Cut the eggplant and place eggplant on 2 lined baking sheets with a double layer of paper towels and lay the eggplant slices among the sheets evenly. Liberally salt the eggplant slices, using about a teaspoon or so of salt, and let them sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes to an hour. This allows the eggplant to sweat releasing the water from them.  Using fresh paper towels, wipe the tops of the eggplant to remove excess salt and firmly press to release any remaining liquid. Dry on both sides and transfer to a plate. Wipe the baking sheets and line them with parchment paper or aluminum foil and spray well with cooking oil. (I have also tried spraying baking sheets with cooking spray but found lining the baking sheets with parchment paper and or aluminum foil is easier clean up).
  2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs using either a fork or a whisk. In another medium shallow bowl, combine the panko, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
  3. Dip one slice of eggplant into the egg, making sure both sides are coated well, and then press ONE side into the bread crumbs. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat the process with all remaining slices.
  4. Spray the tops of the eggplant slices well with cooking oil or lightly drizzle olive oil over the tops and bake until the eggplant is soft and the crust is crispy, about 15 minutes.
  5. Remove the pans from the oven and spoon a heaping tablespoon of sauce on each, followed by a slice of mozzarella.
  6. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Top with fresh basil and serve.

What is Your Morning Beauty Routine?

Megan2 Comments
Many of us have our morning rituals and if that schedule somehow is affected it ruins our entire day. Okay, well maybe that’s a little dramatic but I think you all can relate to me. Simply put, we are creatures of habit.About a year ago I was searching for a shampoo that was safe and effective. I knew I wanted a product that would moisturize and add volume, a product that did not have harsh and toxic chemicals, and a product that would not further damage my hair and leave it flat and frizzy.

Was that too much to ask?!?!k here to edit.

At last, I found Alba Botanica. This shampoo met all of my criteria. I can not say enough GREAT things about Alba Botanical Hawaiian Shampoo.First of all who doesn’t LOVE coconut let’s just get that out there, well unless you don’t, then I apologize!

​My hair felt better after about a week of using my amazing new find. I could physically see that my hair looked nourished. I was delighted, my hair didn’t go flat by the afternoon nor did it get frizzy half way through the day.

Naturally, if I like one product from a company and I feel like it has helped me then I will have a strong affinity toward the companies’ other products; the halo effect.

I have tried two variations of the microbead body wash; Grapefruit and Expresso & Coffee Bean. Aside from the distinct differences in smells, both are amazing at noticeably removing the dried skin from my body.
I have noticed that my legs and back have really benefited from the use of my Alba Botanical. When I apply lotion after my shower, the lotion actually absorbs into my skin rather than just lying on the surface and not actually penetrating.
These Alba Botanical products have been a wonderful find and swear by them for my morning routine!
For me, the Acne Dote face and body scrub are also a wonderful product. I only use it for my face, but love that the little micro beads (yes they are safe for the environment) leave my face feeling cleaner, smoother and less dry. The beads sweep the dry skin and make-up off my face. I noticed that when I am applying my daily face cream it absorbs even better. 

When I use Alba Botanical Acne Dote to take my makeup off, I really feel that the makeup is off my skin and my face can breathe again.

Let me know if you have tried these products and are equally as obsessed with this company as I am!!  Cheers!

 

Cilantro Beef Nachos

MeganLeave a comment

PictureCilantro! I can NOT say enough great things about this AMAZING herb! Besides, Basil and Italian Flat-Leafed Parsley, Cilantro ranks right up there as a top favorite. So you might be asking yourself ‘What exactly is cilantro?’

Cilantro and Coriander are names to two different parts of the same plant. Cilantro is the citrusy leaves and Coriander are the light brown seeds used for spices in cooking. Cilantro (green leaves) gives your food that extra pizzazz by enhancing the flavor of your food without adding extra calories!

Cilantro has many healthy benefits including high amount of antioxidants, Vitamins A, C, K, and Manganese. One of the beneficial properties of consuming Cilantro is its’ ability to help cleanse the body of toxic metals. Toxic chemicals are literally all around us but if there is something as simple as adding cilantro to a meal to help aid in the detoxification process that will help cleanse our bodies of those toxic metals, you better believe that I am all for it. However, I always like to note, that the build up of these toxic metals takes years to build up and consuming foods like cilantro sporadically, won’t automatically cleanse you, BUT it’s a start in the right direction. In some of my blog posts, I like to include nutritional information to help you to learn and for you to be aware of what foods, or in this case herbs, you eat that have the potential, to make an impact in your life.

Well, enough chit chat on to the recipe! This is Nachos…healthified! My version of nachos I use lean organic meat, corn, fresh tomatoes with hot green chilies, organic black beans, and plenty of hot sauce to add a punch and many tears…of flavor!!! Plus, this version of nachos is naturally gluten-free which for me is a HUGE plus!! =)

I hope you guys enjoy this recipe!
Cheers!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. of lean ground beef (organic lean ground beef is optional)
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 2 cans of tomato and green chilies
  • 1-2 cans of black beans
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup of hot sauce of your choice I prefer Arizona Pepper Products Jalapeno Sauce

Directions:

  1. Sauté in a pan 1 small onion chopped and cook until translucent
  2. Add the ground beef and stir until cooked.  Turn down the stove temperature to low heat.
  3. I usually add the hot sauce to the cooked ground beef to start flavoring the meat.
  4. I then drain my canned tomatoes and green chilies and add to them to the meat 
  5. Thoroughly drain and rinse the black beans and add to the pot
  6. Add your frozen corn and stir.
  7. Add the rest of the hot sauce and then some if you like it really spicy!
  8. The add your amazing Cilantro and stir it so everything is blended.