Eggplant rolls

 

Time & Nutritional data(per serving)

Overall50 mins Hands on25 mins

Total Carbs20.1g Fiber8.7g
Net Carbs11.4g of which Sugar6.6g
Protein37.6g Fat60g of which Saturated27g
Energy757kcal carbs6.2% protein20.4% fat73.4%
Sodium79.6%RDA Magnesium20.6%RDA Potassium46.7%EMR

 

 

 

 

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

4 medium eggplants (aubergine)	1000 g / 35.3 oz
4 cups ricotta cheese	480 g / 16.9 oz
20 thin slices bacon (or regular cut in half lengthwise)	300 g / 10.6 oz
2 cups grated parmesan cheese	120 g / 4.2 oz
4 tbsp basil pesto (home-made)	60 g / 2.1 oz
4 tbsp ghee or butter, grass-fed (or coconut oil)	60 g / 2.1 oz
1 tsp pink Himalayan or sea salt	6 g / 0.21 oz

 

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400℉ / 200℃. Wash the eggplant and cut the green end off.

Step 2

Slice it to approximately ¹⁄₂ inch (~ 1 cm) thick slices.

Note:

Eggplants may get soggy when cooked. To remove the excess water and the bitterness some eggplants have, simply sprinkle the slices with fine sea salt and set aside for 20-30 minutes. Then, tap off the excess water using a paper towel.

Step 3

Warm ghee in a small pot in case you keep it in the fridge. Sage, basil or garlic flavors go best with this meal.

Lay the eggplant in a single layer on a baking tray greased with ghee. Spread more warm ghee on the top side with a brush.

Step 4

Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes until the eggplant is golden brown.

Step 5

Meanwhile, place the ricotta with freshly chopped basil and ²⁄₃ of the parmesan in a bowl and stir until well combined. Taste and season with salt.

Step 6

Place a teaspoon of basil pesto on each eggplant slice.

Step 7

Add a slice of bacon and 2 tablespoons of ricotta cheese mixture and roll up firmly.

Step 8

Repeat this for half of the eggplant slices.

Step 9

For the remaining slices, place bacon on a cutting board. Then, lay an eggplant slice on top of it and spread a teaspoon of pesto.

Step 10

Add ricotta cheese mixture and roll up firmly.

Step 11

Grease a baking dish with ghee. Place the eggplant rolls in the baking dish in an alternating "chess board" pattern.

Step 12

Sprinkle with the remaining of parmesan and bake for another 10 minutes.

Step 13

Leave to rest for a few minutes and serve hot!

Stuffed Eggplant with Couscous, Roasted Red Peppers, and Goat Cheese

Whole wheat couscous cooks just as quickly as the white flour variety (it is a pasta, not a whole grain) and is easy to find in most supermarkets. After you’ve made this recipe as written, consider trying it with different veggies (sautéed mushrooms, onions, or zucchini), cheeses (feta or fresh mozzarella), and nuts.

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES / TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES / SERVINGS: 4







Ingredients
2 medium eggplant (about 1¼ pounds each), halved lengthwise
3⁄4 cup whole wheat couscous
1 jar (16 ounces) roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped (about 13⁄4 cups)
½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
1⁄3 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, parsley, or basil
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about ½ cup)

1 HEAT the oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the eggplant on the baking sheet flesh side down. Roast until the flesh is browned and yields when pressed and the skin starts to wrinkle (do not roast until the skin collapses), 35 to 40 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

2 SCOOP the flesh into a large bowl when the eggplant is cool enough to handle, leaving some flesh attached to the skin to maintain its shape. Place the shells back on the same baking sheet skin side down.

3 BRING 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the couscous and ¼ teaspoon salt. When the water returns to a boil, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand 10 minutes. Add to the bowl with the eggplant flesh. Add the bell pepper, walnuts, cumin, lemon juice, and 1⁄3 cup of the mint. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4 SPOON the couscous mixture evenly into the eggplant skin and top with the goat cheese. Roast until the cheese is lightly browned and the couscous mixture is heated through, 17 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs and serve.

NUTRITION (per serving: 1 stuffed eggplant half) 290 calories, 10 g protein, 39 g carbs, 13 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 113 mg sodium 

 

Swiss Chard, Eggplant, and Mushroom Lasagna

This recipe calls for a lot of vegetables since they lose volume when cooked. To break up the cooking time, you can prep and cook the eggplant, Swiss chard, and mushrooms (steps 1 through 3) in advance. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.







 






Ingredients
3 medium eggplant, trimmed (3 pounds)
3½ pounds Swiss chard, thick stems trimmed, chopped
12 ounces mushrooms, chopped (about 3 cups)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
3 cups part-skim ricotta, drained
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
4 cups prepared reduced-sodium marinara sauce
1 package (9 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles, preferably whole wheat
1½ cups grated part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
¼ cup grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)

1 HEAT the broiler. Slice the eggplant lengthwise, 1⁄3″ thick. Coat the slices on both sides with cooking spray and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, working in two batches, and broil 6″ from the heat until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and broil until the opposite sides are browned and the flesh is very tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

2 FILL a large pot with about ½″ of water and place a steamer basket inside. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and add the Swiss chard, working in two batches. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a colander and drain thoroughly. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the chard tightly with your hands to extract as much water as possible and blot the chard dry with a clean kitchen towel.

3 HEAT the oven to 400°F. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and liquid has evaporated, 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the garlic and pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute. Add the Swiss chard and cook until heated through and any liquid has evaporated, 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4 COMBINE the ricotta, egg, and egg whites in a large bowl and season with freshly ground black pepper.

5 SPREAD 1 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of a deep-dish, 9″ × 13″ baking dish. Add 4 noodles and cover with half of the ricotta, then half of the eggplant, then half of the Swiss chard-mushroom mixture, then ½ cup of the mozzarella, and then 1 cup of the sauce. Repeat the layers again, starting with the noodles and ending with 1 cup sauce. Top with a third layer of noodles (you may have some leftover), the remaining 1 cup sauce, and ½ cup mozzarella. Top with the Parmesan.

6 COVER with foil and bake 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is lightly browned, 15 minutes longer. Rest 30 minutes, slice into 10 pieces, and serve.

NUTRITION (per serving) 401 calories, 26 g protein, 44 g carbs, 16 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 791 mg sodium