Baked Eggplant

I hadn't thought about trying eggplant until recently because well...a giant purple vegetable? I thought I wouldn't like it at all!  Eggplant is low calorie (~35 calories in a cup of cooked eggplant), low carb (~8g of carbohydrate in a cup with 2g being fiber in 1 cup cooked), and low glycemic. It's also packed with a ton of nutrients.  So I had to give it a try...and I ended up loving it! It's a versatile vegetable that can be cooked in many different ways, so it can be included in a wide variety of recipes! The way I've been making it is simple with no oil, and can be incorporated into sandwiches, salads, etc.

Ingredients:

1 eggplant

Spices (I used Mrs. Dash, Sea Salt, and Garlic Powder)

Non-Stick Cooking Spray

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350.  Cut off the end of the eggplant and peel off the skin using a peeler.  Then cut the eggplant into slices about 1/4-1/2 inch thick (you can also make cubes).  Spray a baking sheet lightly with the non-stick cooking spray, then lay the eggplant slices on the sheet.  Sprinkle a bit of sea salt on each slice, followed by whatever spices you want.  Then lightly coat the top of the slices with the non-stick cooking spray. Don't go overboard or else the eggplant will come out mushy! Then put into the oven and cook for about 25-30 minutes, flipping the slices halfway through.  

   

Whatever you don't use can be stored in the fridge for a few days, just make sure you wrap it good!

Side note! One of my favorite combinations is extra lean ground chicken, spinach, roasted red pepper, eggplant, and plain greek yogurt on a La Tortilla Factory low-carb wrap.  It's good with turkey too. Try it! :)