Eggplant

Anyone have any good and quick recipes with eggplant?

Lentil Moussaka - eating it right now.

 

Filling 

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

1 1/2 cups Lentils (i mix whole red and whole brown)

2 tomatoes chopped

2 mushrooms sliced

2 1/2 cups vegetable stock 

 

2 med-large potatoes sliced

1 eggplant/aubergine sliced

1 packet of low fat bechamele sauce mix (or make a roux if you're brave)

1 cup grated low fat cheese

 

1. Fry your onion and spices in a little olive oil until onion soft (at low heat so you don't smoke yourself out), add the lentils and fry for a few more minutes. Then add your tomatoes and mushrooms and keep frying for a few more minutes (keep stirring). Then add your stock. You'll need to simmer the mix for around 35-40 mins (if whole, less if split lentils), until the lentils are cooked through (not gritty in texture but not overcooked and mushy).

2. While your mix is simmering, cook the potato slices in a pan (just cover with water or even steam) and prep your eggplant/aubergine - either brush with olive oil and grill or pan fry (the eggplant is a bit like a sponge - don't keep adding loads of olive oil or it will be super greasy, as I am pan frying I keep applying a little pressure with a spatula to make sure it softens). 'Blot' the cooked slices on kitchen roll. 

 3. Make your bechamel sauce mix (or roux if you want) (use lowfat milk of course).

4. When you're lentil mix is cooked through layer the ingredients in a lasagne pan/pie/casserole dish, just lentils, potato, lentils, aubergine, sauce and then sprinkle your grated cheese on. Place in a hot oven for 10-15 mins max  and you're good to go.

By my calculation this usually makes about 6 -7 good sized servings and comes in at about 230 calories a serving. I usually have it with a big bowl of salad leaves and sugar snap peas or with a load of steamed broccoli and kale.

 Yum! The problem is stopping yourself from scoffing it while it's in the pan! 

I have all those ingredients, but my eggplant is the long skinny oriental kind so I'll use lengthwise slices.  It's going to be just as good, I know.  These skinny eggplants are a little sweeter than the big aubergines.  I make my own fat free bechamel - cornstarch whisked with undiluted evaporated skim milk and cooked until it thickens. 

For very quick, grill some eggplant slices and some lean chicken breast (or tofu/quorn) and have it with mixed leaves in a salad... if you have extra calories for that day some goats cheese finishes that off nicely.

I love the flavor of eggplant but I hate the seeds.  But by the time you get rid of the seeds you don't have much egg plant left :-(