I know, I know, I have not been posting. But I am back and ready to pick up the normal pace.
This week is going to focus on the delicious eggplant (make sure you check back for dishes that use eggplant). Yep, you read that right, delicious EGGPLANT. Ok, so eggplant is not that delicious and pretty much tastes like what ever you cook it with, but if you have been afraid of eggplant in the past (mostly because everyone says “yuck”) or if you have had some bad eggplant dish that turned you off, it is time to give it another try. Trust me, eggplant can rock if you cook it right.
Eggplant nutrition
Eggplant is a low calorie food that is great source of fiber. It is also a great source of vitamins K and B6 as well as Thiamin, Folate, Potassium and Manganese.
You can fatten up your eggplant in a hurry with many traditional fried recipes or those full of cheese so this week I will try to show you how to make those recipes still delicious but also healthier for you!
Picking out an eggplant at the grocery
Look for eggplants that are size appropriate (for their kind, like a mini eggplant should be small). Don’t buy the huge ones because they will be tough and have lots of seeds. Make sure it is firm and still has a little bit of stem on it (leaves are good too).
Eggplant prep
Wash outside of eggplant well (you are eating the skin here so try to buy organic if you can)
Cut off the stem, top of eggplant, and bottom (just to make it flat) and then slice the plant in slices 1/2 to 1 inch rounds. You can also go with long slices, but make sure they are still 1/2 to 1 inch thick.
Sprinkle the eggplant with kosher salt and leave in a strainer for at least 20min to draw out the moisture. Eggplant will turn brown if not salted, and still may turn brown, don't worry about it!
Blot eggplant with a paper towel (or better yet a clean lint free towel) and remove any excess salt.
Cook!
Growing an eggplant
We grew them this year because I got some plants for free. We only got one eggplant per plant (probably because of where I placed them) but they were great! It takes about 75 days for an eggplant to mature and bear fruit. You want to pick them when they are firm and not at all spongy (poke it with your finger, you should not leave an imprint and if it does the skin should bounce back right away). The skin should be taunt and not turning brown (if it is brown, you need to pick it ASAP). Don’t wait for your eggplant to get huge or you are going to end up with some crunchy seeds in your food. When you pick your eggplant use garden shears and leave a little stem on it. They will keep in the fridge for a week or so.
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