Tell me the truth . . . . when you are all alone on a Saturday night, are you craving some fried food? Or is it family members pushing you to satisfy their craving for junk food?
Does this Eggplant Parmesan look good to you?
I know it looks and tastes fried. But it isn’t.
You can do it totally vegan, using vegan cheese, or if you’re not vegan, just trying to get more vegetable dishes into your life, use egg for the breading and mozzarella and parmesan cheese for the dish.
Either way, you are not taking in hundreds and even thousands of calories, by deep frying it. Grilling the eggplant? Good idea. Grilling that finishing it off in the oven? Even better idea.
WHAT’S THE TRICK CHEF?
Well, since you asked so nicely, I’ll tell you.
It’s combining crumbs. I use a vegan crumb, an Italian Seasoning crumb and Panko. The combination made my son say 2 days ago: “This has the flavor and consistency of an onion ring”. Nice compliment, I thought.
And don’t forget to season those breadcrumbs. You know the dried onions and chives we save for onion dip? (Try it with a vegan sour cream. You will be amazed)! Those can easily go into your breadcrumbs along with dried and fresh chopped herbs. What about scallions? Those can go in your bread crumbs. Why not?
Are you getting bored of cooking? Getting tired of how long it takes? Pick things a couple of days of the week that you can throw together in under a half hour. Chop up cabbage. Make coleslaw with cabbage, carrots, relish, some juice from your pickle jar, and a sprinkling of brown sugar and spices like garlic powder, (that you jar and save for another day, after the flavors marry) and make Egg Rolls that you serve with brown rice, cashews, scallions and baby bok choy with soy sauce or vegan soy sauce.
Here’s the problem about non-stop cooking during covid. You have to find things to throw together quickly that have a great solid flavor profile. Otherwise, (unless you’re me cause spending time in the kitchen is my all time favorite thing), you go nuts spending hours cooking and getting food that is just edible.
Yes! There is a real difference in people at your table just eating, and people saying ‘Oh my! This is delicious!’ And if you are not putting lots of salt, sugar and fat into your food, just to get flavor, because you’re looking to get healthier during covid, you really need to know how to layer and balance flavor. Go take a look at my recipes on this blog. Get some ideas about flavor profiles you can easily create.
And If you’re doing something like Eggplant Parmesan, you’ve got to add a vegetable like Broccoli or Asparagus with garlic and a nice salad with lots of variety in both vegetables and nuts or seeds. I love adding pine nuts and raisins to a salad. I equally like pecans and pecans are really good for ya!
Please . . . . do not eat a boring salad of lettuce and tomatoes, unless you have had enough of hearty salads with garbanzo beans, and need to take a break. Cook up a little amount of prosciutto and chop and sprinkle that in for a big kick!
And when you serve yourself? Try to take just one or two pieces of eggplant and way less pasta then you would instinctively like, to save your calories for a little bit of olive oil to drizzle on your pasta and sauce. I’ve been amazed at how a little goes a long way. I give myself one serving and then if I need more, I have more salad not more pasta.
There’s got to be a way all of us during covid can stop drinking (because we think it’s fun) and go back to occasional drinks, and stop overeating (because we are looking to fill a hole that can’t be filled). Think I’m talking to you . . . . or myself?
Either way, you’re right!
Healthy Happy Eating,
