http://www.whfoods.com/index.html?PH...cf68e93580e481

I've been slacking on the weekly healthy foods. I believe I missed a couple of weeks, but I've just been so busy that I've completely forgotten about it. But anyway, this week's food is eggplant, a favorite vegetable of mine. In fact I just bought some yesterday.

What's your favorite way to fix it?

I love eggplant although I don't care for the american version. I much prefer Chinese or Japanese eggplants. They have a much better taste.

One of my favorite ways to serve eggplant is to dice it, put it in a big sautee pan, add a bit of water, garlic and some hot pepper spice. It kind of becomes a bit mushy but it is delicious. I also enjoy it grilled.

I love eggplant! I especially love the white ones. They look so beautiful in the produce bowl.

One of my favorite preparations for it is an indian eggplant/tomato stew. You smoke the eggplant, saute it with onions, garlic and ginger, and then add some chopped or canned tomatoes. Add some spices, cook down to reduce and garnish with cilantro. Yum! I also made a middle eastern spicy eggplant and honey salad the other day. It was very good.

Oh, I totally agree! The only place I can get other eggplant (besides the traditional purple) is at Whole Foods. The regular grocery store only carries the Italian eggplant.

Poopers.

Well, I have really, really tried to like eggplant, but I don't. The only way that I like it, in fact LOVE it is dredged in eggs and then breadcrumbs and fried in oil, placed in a pan with lots of marinara sauce and cheese and baked to death - yup, eggplant parmagina, THAT I love. But I refuse to eat it that way anymore.

LLV, because of you (thanks!), I get the weekly bulletins from WHF, but am always reluctant to post it. It's been your "thing" (thanks again!) and I don't ever want to step on your toes.

Eggplant "Lasagne" (My husband who HATES eggplant will take seconds of this)

salt thin slices of eggplant (peeled or unpeeled, I usually peel storebought but leave fresh eggplant unpeeled). Let stand. (this helps it absorb less oil). Usually I use 2 medium eggplants for this (most of the ones in the store are too big)

Preheat oven to 350-400 degrees. (This takes awhile so if you have something else to roast, share the oven!)

Slice a large sweet onion thinly.

Coat a baking dish thinly with EVOO, add eggplant and drizzle with more EVOO, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with black pepper. Roast until very very soft (40-60 min). I usually give it a stir every 10-15 minutes or so. The eggplant will look like it is drying out because it soaks up the oil, dont worry about it, just give it a stir and it will be fine!

In a large saucepan saute the onions briefly in EVOO over medium heat (about where you would make pancakes) cover and let cook stirring occasionally until lightly carmelized. If the heat is right this should take quite awhile, but it helps develop the sweetness. The heat should be low enough that the onions dont brown.

When both onions and eggplant are soft and sweet take a small baking dish and layer eggplant, onion, spaghetti sauce, sprinkle of mozzarella...repeat layers ending with mozzarella. Bake until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

This recipe takes awhile, but is WORTH it. The steps can be shortenened - The eggplant will still work roasted 30 minutes instead of 40-60, the onions can be cooked on higher heat for shorter time and it will still be good. But for a truly developed taste...cook slowwww.

Oh hey, anytime you want to post the week's healthiest food, you go right ahead, hon. I won't mind at all

In fact it would be nice if someone else took over the job, since I seem to be slacking off lately

I'd love it if someone else did it for a while. Not that it's a tedious job because I like doing it, but I wanna respond now and then instead of being the instigator, LOL.

Yep, that's what I do, I "purge" the eggplant first for many dishes. Others I leave it as is.

This sounds fantastic, thank you for sharing

LLV, did you know the eggplant in regular stores is an american version somehow? I bought an italian eggplant once and it was a lot different. There are a few asian markets near me that carry 4 or 5 different versions of eggplant.

Oh! Well that doesn't surprise me, with everything here being so "Americanized".

We have one Asian market that I know of in our area and that place is just scary. It stinks to high heaven and I honestly wouldn't trust eating most of the foods from there, so I tend to stay away. The only reason I ever go into that place is to buy Lumpia skins.

I'll stick with Whole Foods for the out-of-the-ordinary produce

You got it LLV. I just wanted to check with you first, before I went ahead and did it.

My farmer's market had several different kinds of eggplants during the late summer. All different shapes and colors. I find them incredibly beautiful. I think I'd buy them even if I didn't like to eat them.

I've stopped salting my eggplant. It doesn't seem to make any difference at all, and it's a bit of a pest. Has anyone actually done a side-by-side test to see whether the salting isn't really an old wives tale?

I say go for it! You wanna be the new "this week's healthiest food" chick?



I wouldn't mind a vacation, LOL

All right then, I will gladly post the Weeks Healthiest Food. Even if it's not one that I adore .

Any one else who gets to it before me is perfectly welcome to post also. It doesn't have to be all offiicial or anything like that.

I think you posting them would be a good idea since you get the weekly emails. Me, I just had to remember to go check the site, which is why I was late on the draw a few times, LOL

I too post even if it's something I don't like. Because what I don't like, someone else will love