When prepared properly, eggplant is one of the tastiest dishes around. With its soft texture, it can be tricky to work with, but with the right tips and recipes, well-cooked eggplant is truly delicious! On top of that, it’s a veggie that’s chock full of nutrients and health benefits we love to see! You can cook it in a multitude of ways and it’s just as tasty in any form. If you’ve been on the search for healthy and delicious eggplant recipes, we’ve got you covered!
5 Health Benefits of Eggplant
1. Improves Digestion
Eggplant is high in fibre, which is not only an important element of a balanced diet, it’s also a great way to improve digestive health. Eggplant will help keep everything moving smoothly, and can help relieve constipation.
2. High in Iron
Iron is an essential mineral that’s vital to the proper function of hemoglobin, a protein needed to transport oxygen in the blood. Low iron can lead to various health problems such as iron deficient anemia, which is characterized by tiredness and weakness. Eggplant has a good dose of iron, which can help combat health conditions such as anemia.
3. Rich in Antioxidants
Eggplant is chock full of antioxidants, which help fight free radicals in the body. Eggplants are especially high in anthocyanins, a type of pigment with antioxidants that give them that vibrant, purple colour. Antioxidants can help fight cancer and other diseases and ensure your body is functioning at its healthiest.
4. Benefits Brain Function
Eggplant contains phytonutrients, which are believed to boost cognitive activity and general mental health. This is due to increased blood flow throughout the body and into the brain. They help boost memory by stimulating your neural pathways to develop. Phytonurtients and potassium (both found in eggplant) are both considered brain boosters, as they deliver more oxygen-rich blood to the brain.
5. Improves Heart Health
Eggplant benefits your heart in a number of different ways. It’s high in fibre, which reduces the amount of bad LDL cholesterol in the body and increases the good HDL cholesterol. The more HDL cholesterol we have, the better. Reducing LDL cholesterol levels minimizes your risk of heart attacks and strokes. The bioflavonoids in eggplants reduce blood pressure, which reduces stress on your cardiovascular system, improving heart health overall.
5 Ways to Cook Eggplant
1. Bake It
Cut the eggplant into strips or rounds, add a breadcrumb spiced coating, then pop them into the oven to bake. You can use baked eggplant in an eggplant parmesan dish or eat them on their own as a side dish.
2. Stir Fry
Eggplant is an ideal veggie to use in a stir fry. Add it to the pan with olive oil, veggies, protein and your choice of sauce and enjoy its semi-soft texture. Place the mixture on top of rice and enjoy!
3. Mash It into a Dip
Once the eggplant is cooked, the flesh can be scooped out and mashed or puréed into a dip. Baba Ganoush dip is made with roasted eggplant, tahini sauce, garlic and olive oil and is especially tasty with pita bread.
4. Grill It
Eggplant is super tasty on the grill, and is ideal for grilling due to its meat-like flesh. Cut it into thick rounds for burgers, cube it for kabobs or slice it into strips for the perfect warm weather appetizer.
5. Roast It
Cube the eggplant then toss it with salt and olive oil. Roast it in the oven for 20 minutes, flip and roast until golden brown and tender, then put it in for 10 to 20 minutes more. You can eat roasted eggplant on its own, on toast, or stirred into pasta or curry.
12 Easy Eggplant Recipes
1. Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant | Crunchy Creamy Sweet
2. Olive Oil Roasted Eggplant with Lemon | All Recipes
3. Eggplant Parmesan Meatballs | Woman’s Day
4. Eggplant Parm Chips | Delish
5. Speedy Eggplant Parmesan | Good Housekeeping
6. Baked Eggplant Fries with Greek Tzatziki Sauce | The Mediterranean Dish
7. Super Simple Baked Eggplant | The Spruce Eats
8. Tomato Eggplant Tartines | Good Housekeeping
9. Eggplant Tostadas | Delish
10. Easy Greek-Style Eggplant | The Mediterranean Dish
11. Eggplant and Bean Sausage Rolls | Whole Food Bellies
12. Italian Sauteed Eggplant | Ready Set Eat
12 Healthy Eggplant Recipes
1. Salmon with Grilled Eggplant and Chickpea Croutons | Good Housekeeping
2. Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce | Omnivore’s Cookbook
3. Lighter Parmesan Eggplant | Skinny Taste
4. Roasted Eggplant with Zaatar | Feasting at Home
5. Plum Tomato and Eggplant Shakshuka | Good Housekeeping
6. Grilled Eggplant Parmesan Pizza | Woman’s Day
7. Cayenne Grilled Eggplant with Fresh Tomato Salad | Good Housekeeping
8. Soy Glazed Eggplant | Budget Bytes
9. Eggplant Green Curry | Simply Recipes
10. Soba with Miso Glazed Eggplant | Good Housekeeping
11. Roasted Pepper and Aubergine Dip | Forkful of Plants
12. Japanese Roasted Eggplant | Cooking Journey Blog
12 Keto Eggplant Recipes
1. Keto Eggplant Parmesan | Wholesome Yum
2. Low Carb Eggplant Pizza | Eating Bird Food
3. Low Carb Crispy Fried Eggplant Rounds | Low Carb Maven
4. Low Carb Eggplant Fries | Diet Doctor
5. Beef and Eggplant Casserole | Not Enough Cinnamon
6. Low Carb Eggplant Lasagna | Primavera Kitchen
7. Eggplant Gratin with Feta Cheese | Lavender and Macarons
8. One-Pan Eggplant Chicken Dinner | Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
9. Keto Baked Eggplant Parmesan Slices | So Nourished
10. Keto Curried Eggplant and Zucchini | Carb Manager
11. Keto Stuffed Eggplant | Foodaciously
12. Low Carb Eggplant Manicotti | Keto Connect
12 Vegan Eggplant Recipes
1. Marinated Teriyaki Eggplant | Cupful of Kale
2. Vegan Mousakka | My Pure Plants
3. Easy Vegan Sticky Aubergine | Fit Foodie Nutter
4. Roasted Eggplant Pasta | A simple Palate
5. Roasted Eggplant sandwich with Olive Tapenade | Cook Eat Live Love
6. Garlic Eggplant Penne Pasta | Dish by Dish
7. Simple Baba Ganoush | Minimalist Baker
8. Baked Eggplant Fajitas | Slender Kitchen
9. Aubergine and Chickpea Curry | Little Sunny Kitchen
10. Chinese Spicy Eggplant | Profusion Curry
11. Moroccan Eggplant Salad | Yum Vegan Food
12. Vegan Eggplant Stew | Cooktoria
These eggplant dishes are healthy, packed with nutrients and completely delicious! Try them out the next time you need a crowd pleaser or want to impress your family and friends!
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