INGREDIENTS:

For the chicken:

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos

2 Tbs. sesame oil

1 Tbs. maple syrup or coconut sugar

2 tsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger or 1 tsp ginger paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

For the coconut rice:

2 cups jasmine rice

2 cups canned coconut milk

1-3/4 cups water

1/4 tsp salt

For the Eggplant:

2 Asian eggplant or 5 baby eggplant, cut into 3” strips

2 tsp ginger paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. maple syrup or coconut sugar

1 tsp. Asian fish sauce (optional)

pinch of red chili flakes

1 scallion, sliced (reserve some for garnish)

1 Tbsp Peanut or Avocado oil

Lime wedges for serving

DIRECTIONS:

To make the chicken, in a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oil, maple syrup, ginger, and garlic. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While the chicken marinates, make the coconut rice. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the rice, coconut milk, water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, cover and set aside.

Heat oven to 375°F. Remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade, and place on a baking sheet. Roast until the skin is caramelized, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool. Remove the meat from the bones and cut into strips. Set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or a deep pan. Add the eggplant to the pan and cook, stirring often, until most of the oil has been absorbed, about 3 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the eggplant is tender and the ginger and garlic are browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup, fish sauce, chili flakes and scallions until incorporated well.

*originally adapted from William and Sonoma Blog.

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Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

Asian Fusion Eggplant Appetizer

October 3rd, 2019 | Posted by Milana in Appetizers | Recipes - (0 Comments)

The original recipe to this absolutely delicious eggplant appetizer was adapted from @cookingwithyana on Instagram. Check out her account for more yummy creations! I made some modifications to her original recipe. The results speak for themselves.

INGREDIENTS:

3 medium Eggplant, chopped into 1” pieces

2 Red Bell Peppers, chopped to 1/2” pieces

2 Carrots, sliced into shoestring on mandolin

1 medium Red Onion, sliced thin

1/4 cup Parsley or Cilantro, finely chopped

Salt

DRESSING:

1/4 cup Avocado Oil

1 lime, squeezed

1 tsp sesame oil

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp rice vinegar

1-1/2 tsp white vinegar

2-1/2 tsp maple syrup

3/4 tsp tsp sriracha sauce

2 tsp coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup chopped Parsley or Cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

Season your eggplant well with salt in a colander over a large bowl to collect all the moisture from the eggplant. Let it sit for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, mix all the dressing ingredients and set aside.

In a wok or deep frying pan, flash-fry the onions for 2-3 minutes in avocado oil. Set aside.

Squeeze out eggplant pieces with hands and pat dry on paper towel before frying. I fried it in 4 batches. You may also drizzle some oil and roast it at 425°F for about 15-20 min until golden brown.

Mix it in a large bowl with the fried onions, raw peppers, carrots and chopped herbs. Pour dressing and mix gently with spatula. Can be served right away but is best if refrigerated for at least 8 hours as the ingredients get to know each other. 😉 Voilà👌🏻!

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Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

Eggplant Fries

October 10th, 2018 | Posted by Milana in Appetizers | Recipes - (2 Comments)

These were such a big hit!!! We consumed these in literally 5 minutes! That’s how yummy they turned out. Now I’ll be making these once a week. They’re the perfect healthy alternative for the original spud favorite and a huge upgrade to the zucchini fries….that is…if you love eggplant more than zucchini. If you make these, please leave some feedback letting me know your thoughts on this recipe. Thank you for stopping by. Happy baking!

INGREDIENTS:

1 large eggplant, sliced 1/4 inch thick and then sliced into 1/4″ sticks

2 egg whites, slightly beaten

2/3 cup whole wheat plain bread crumbs

3 Tbsp grated Parmesan

3/4 tsp dried ground garlic

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Cooking spray

Parchment paper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat oven to 450F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper greased with cooking spray.

In a large bowl mixture eggplant sticks with salt and oil. In a small bowls have your egg whites ready for dredging and in another bowl mix the bread crumbs with Parmesan, turmeric and pepper.

Using one stick at a time, dredge into egg whites first and then roll into the crumb mixture and onto the baking sheet leaving bout an inch of space in between each stick. Spray some more cooking spray on top and bake for 10 min and then flip and bake additional 5 min. Serve hot. Enjoy.

Serves: 4

Serving size: 1/4 of the recipe

**original recipe adapted from Gina at www.Skinnytaste.com.
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Rating: 5.0/5 (2 votes cast)

*photo was taken by Sabrina

INGREDIENTS:

2 Large Eggplant, peeled and sliced 1/2″ thick

Olive oil cooking spray

Sea salt and pepper

1-1/2 Tbsp double concentrated tomato paste

1/4 Cup warm water

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 sweet onion, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp Olive Oil (not extra virgin)

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

2 Tbsp Greek Yogurt

1 Tbsp Sour cream (can use Tofutti’s Sour Supreme to make non dairy)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 400F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Season both sides of Eggplant slices with salt and pepper. Liberally spray with oil on both sides and roast for 10-15 on one side. Flip and roast an additional 5-10 min. 

In the meantime, using a large skillet (12″). Sauté onions and garlic with turmeric and salt to taste until translucent (about 20 min on medium low heat. Set half of the onions mixture aside for garnish. 

Chop the eggplant and add it to the onions in the pan. Mix the water with the tomato past and add it to the eggplant. Add the smoked paprika and sauté for an additional 15 min on med low heat. 

Turn off heat and stir in the yogurt and sour cream. Serve in a bowl garnished with the reserved caramelized onions along with warm, fluffy pita. Enjoy. 

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Rating: 5.0/5 (2 votes cast)

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

October 13th, 2015 | Posted by Milana in Lunch/Dinner | Recipes - (0 Comments)

 
Hey Everyone! Hope you guys are having a bright and cheerful morning! Last night I made my sisters Eggplant Parm recipe that she just simply adores….next to mine of course lol. She originally found it at Simply Recipes.   I loved that the eggplant wasn’t soggy and held its shape perfectly! The sauce was probably the most delicious sauce that was made from scratch! I highly recommend this recipe and hope you will enjoy it as well! 

**P.S. Don’t let the ingredient list or the long directions list intimidate you. If you read through everything first it will be easy as you start assembling everything. It took me approximately 45 minutes to dredge and bake all the eggplant after the 2 hour liquid extraction from the eggplant and an additional 10 minutes to assemble everything with the sauce and cheese. Then 35 minutes to bake the delicious concoction! 
INGREDIENTS:

Eggplant prep:

2 1/4 lbs (about 2 large) eggplants

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Sauce:

 1 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove minced garlic (about 1 teaspoon)

1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), tomatoes diced, reserve juices

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Dredging & Assembly:

 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat Panko)

1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided (I used fresh shredded Parmegiano-Reggiano)

3/4 cup flour (I used white whole wheat)

4 eggs, beaten (more if needed…for me 3 were enough)

1/4 cup olive oil (I used cooking spray to grease the baking sheets)

1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4-inch slices 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Slice the eggplants into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick rounds. Lay the eggplant slices out on a rack over a rimmed sheet pan (or on several layers of paper towels). Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant rounds lightly with salt. Let the eggplant rounds sit and release moisture for 2 hours.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and gently cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and their juices. Increase heat to bring to a simmer, lower heat to maintain a very low simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the minced basil and remove from heat.

3. Combine 1 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and place in a shallow bowl or rimmed dish. Set up your station so that you have flour in one shallow bowl, beaten eggs in another bowl, and the breadcrumb cheese mixture in another, in that order.

4. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread a tablespoon of olive oil each over the bottom of two rimmed baking sheet pans. Pat dry the eggplant slices with paper towels. Working one at a time dredge the eggplant slices first in the flour, then dip in the beaten eggs, and then dredge in the breadcrumb parmesan cheese mixture.Place on oiled sheet pan. Drizzle a little oil over the top of each breaded eggplant round.

5. Place breaded prepared eggplant slices in the oven. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes, turning the slices over at the half-way point, until they are nicely browned. Remove from oven, and let cool to touch.

6.Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Place a third of the eggplant rounds in a single layer covering the sauce on the bottom of the pan.

7.Layer half of the sliced mozzarella on top of the eggplant rounds. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

8. Place another third of the eggplant rounds over the cheese. Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the eggplant rounds. Layer the rest of the sliced mozzarella over the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of grated Parm.

Add the remaining eggplant in a single layer on top of the cheese. Top with the remaining sauce and the remaining Parmesan. 

9.  Bake uncovered at 350°F for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before cutting into to serve.


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Rating: 5.0/5 (2 votes cast)

Moms Ratatouille

July 24th, 2015 | Posted by Milana in Appetizers | Recipes - (1 Comments)

  
Took me a few batches but I FINALLY perfected it!!!! The creaminess from the roasted eggplant just makes this appetizer addicting! 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Sweet Onion thinly julienned 

1 Large eggplant unpeeled,  washed and sliced 1/2″ thick

1 Red , yellow and orange Bell Pepper ribbed and seeded & cut into chunks

1-1/2 Tbsp 100% Maple Syrup

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

2 tsp White Vinegar 

1 small can no salt added tomato sauce

2 Tbsp Avocado Oil

Olive Oil Cooking Spray

Sea salt & finely ground pepper 

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 400F. Salt and pepper your eggplant slices on both sides to taste and spray both sides with cooking spray. Roast for 20 min. Then flip and roast an additional 5-7 min. Set aside to cool. 

In a deep skillet pan. Heat oil. Add onions and peppers season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir until semi soft. Add tomato sauce, maple syrup, paprika and vinegar. Stir until comes to a boil. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 30 min. With kitchen scissors cut each eggplant into quarters and add into skillet. Stir and simmer for another 10 min. Enjoy!

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Rating: 5.0/5 (4 votes cast)

 

Italian Cuisine is one of my all time favorite foods-but then again who’s isn’t it right!?. However, most tend to be extremely high in calories which are not at all waist-friendly.  I found the original recipe from wholefoodsmarket.com and further modified it a bit to make it EXTRA flavorful as well as calorie-friendly! I was actually pleasantly surprised on how delicious it turned! Your comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated!

INGREDIENTS: Serves 4

1 large eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces (about eight)
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cups cups panko bread crumbs (plain)

3/4 cup whole wheat plain bread crumbs

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Spice
1 jar Muir Glen Organic Tomato Basil Sauce
2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Avocado or Coconut oil Cooking Spray

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven with a baking sheet inside to 375°F. Meanwhile in a square deep dish whisk together panko, whole wheat bread crumbs, and spices. In another deep rectangle dish put the beaten eggs. Coat eggplant slices with beaten egg, then bread with panko crumbs. Liberally spray hot baking sheet with cooking spray and place eggplant slices on it in a single layer. Bake 15 minutes, flip and bake another 10 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to 475°F. In an 8 x 10-inch ovenproof dish, layer pasta sauce, then eggplant, and top with cheeses. Repeat, finishing with cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and turns golden in spots, about 15 minutes.

4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
  Calories 278.2
  Total Fat 6.4 g
  Saturated Fat 2.8 g
  Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
  Monounsaturated Fat 1.1 g
  Cholesterol 78.1 mg
  Sodium 556.8 mg
  Potassium 350.0 mg
  Total Carbohydrate 42.4 g
  Dietary Fiber 10.2 g
  Sugars 10.7 g
  Protein 15.8 g
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Rating: 5.0/5 (4 votes cast)