BulletProof, Paleo or Keto Easy Eggplant Recipe that you will LOVE!

I have a really hard time finding things that my husband will eat that include vegetables and organic greens.  Since he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I have changed the way we ALL eat in my house. I've also had to start thinking about food differently. (Can't say that much for him though.) 

Not that my husband is a very finicky eater, but he grew up on the "cuban staple foods" like white rice with black beans, loaves of cuban bread, pastelitos (cuban jelly and cheese filled pastries, for those of you not familiar with the term) and loads of extremely fatty fried food like pork chunks and pan fried steak.  When this is all you have known for the last 40 years, it is hard to change your train of thought, as well as your taste buds.  Needless to say, it's been really difficult to get him to eat somewhat healthy.  

So the other day, I set out to create something easy, delicious and, most of all, HEALTHY for him to have as a side dish to accompany the meat source for the evening.  I went to Trader Joe's and bought some locally organic grown eggplant that was on sale.  He has NEVER been a fan of this beautiful deep purple fruit/vegetable (the verdict is still out on what it actually is), but this dish turned out to be a HUGE hit!

If you have never had eggplant before, this might be a good way to start the love of this incredible veggie.  It is high in antioxidants and vitamin C and loads of great health properties.  So learning to enjoy eggplant (without loading it with cheese or frying it with breading) is a GOOD thing for your health.  

Ingredients:  There are only 6 :-) The simpler the better, right?!

1 Large Eggplant Cut in 1" rounds
5 small vine ripened organic heirloom tomatoes (They come in all different colors so get creative!)
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Parmesan Romano Cheese (optional)
Olive oil for drizzle
1 lemon

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Cut the eggplant in 1" thick rounds and lay on a baking tray lined with foil and drizzle the tops with olive oil.  Season rounds with sea salt and garlic powder.  

Slice the tomatoes and place them on top, kind of like if you were making a pizza. Squeeze a half a lemon over everything and Sprinkle with a small amount of the Parmesan Romano Cheese.  Drizzle a little (and I stress little) more olive oil over the top and your are ready for the oven!

Place in the oven for 15 minutes.  Once it's done, let it cool slightly and you will be ready to serve them up either as a main dish or a side dish to any meal!

Lets talk about the flavor to this recipe...

Eggplant has a sponge like consistency and when it's raw, doesn't have very much flavor all on it's own.  Once you cook it, it will take on the flavor of anything you season it with.  So if you use sea salt and lemon... it will taste like sea salt and lemon. Once cooked, the texture also changes slightly to this creamy but still fairly substantial texture.  Coupled with the sliced tomatoes and the cheese, you have a variety of great sweet and savory flavors that make for a really appetizing bite!

You can try different variations of flavor.  If you like spicy, GO FOR IT!  Dash a little hot sauce on it for some kick.  If you like Indian food flavors like dill and curry... eggplant is an amazing vessel for these flavors.  

As far as toppings for your eggplant rounds, you can also add crushed fresh garlic,  sliced sweet yellow onions, and if you are really feeling adventurous and want to make it a whole meal, slice up some anchovies or even some grade A salami or pepperoni and make them mini eggplant pizzas!

I would love to see what YOU do with this recipe and how you make it your own.  Remember to follow my blog and send me your eggplant ideas :-) we can be healthy together!
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