Eggplant slices make a great vessel for cheese and other pizza toppings, while being much more nutritious than white bread.
Don't get me wrong, nothing with truly replace traditional pizza dough, and it's definitely a food to include occasionally, but for a quick, healthier, mid-week meal, this one is quite tasty too!
Not only do eggplants offer a wide profile of vitamins and minerals, but they also contain specific phytonutrients with many health benefits.
Nasunin is a phytonutrient found in the skins of eggplants. It has shown to be beneficial for the brain by protecting fats in brain cell membranes (1).
Nasunin and other phytonutrients may also aid heart health by reducing cholesterol, improving blood flow, and chelating iron, which, in excess, increases production of free radicals, increasing inflammation, increasing risk of heart disease (1).
Eggplants antioxidant content may also have anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-LDL properties (1).
RECIPE
Serves: 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
2 large eggplants
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (or more if you like lots of cheese; use dairy free if needed)
1 tsp Mrs. Dash onion & herb seasoning blend (or any seasoning blend of choice)
Sprinkle of salt (omit if spice blend used contains salt)
Olive oil spray (or olive oil and a brush)
Additional optional toppings: pepperoni, leftover diced chicken, cooked mushrooms, spinach, onions, etc.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
While oven is preheating, coat two baking sheets with olive oil.
Slice eggplants lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices (you should get 5-6 slices/eggplant).
Arrange eggplant slices on baking sheets without overlapping as much as possible.
Coat eggplant slices with olive oil using spray canister or brush.
Once oven is preheated, bake eggplant slices for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and flip the slices.
Add a spoonful of pizza sauce to each slice and spread it around with the back of the spoon.
Add spice blend, sprinkle of salt, cheese, and any other optional toppings.
Place baking sheet back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Remove from oven when the cheese has started to melt/bubble.
Let cool and enjoy!
Sources
Eggplant. The World's Healthiest Foods. http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=22.
Comments