Social Messaging: Eggplant

cooking
Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Eggplant is a member of the nightshade family along with potatoes and tomatoes. Eggplant can be very versatile in the kitchen for so many more dishes. Here are some fun facts:

  • Eggplant gets its name for the purple hue called aubergine.  There are also white, green and orange varieties.
  • Eggplant is really a berry, not a vegetable.  
  • Eggplant is traditionally sliced, fried and smothered in marinara sauce and cheese for eggplant parmesan, but can be roasted, seasoned and pureed for baba ganoush or simply roasted or grilled with zucchini, carrots and other root vegetables with some olive oil and salt.
  • Eggplant is a great source of fiber and many nutrients. 1 cup contains just 20 calories so it can be a great filler in pasta dishes or it can be a delicious side dish.
  • You don't need to soak eggplant in salt water before cooking. If you buy eggplant fresh and use them quickly, they won't develop a bitter flavor.
  • Cube your eggplant and add it to pasta dishes or
  • Layer your eggplant in lasagna in place of some of the noodles to lower the calories and add more veggies and flavor.
  • Grill slices and make panini sandwiches.
  • Here is one grilled dish where we wrapped it on skewers, grilled it, and then served it with marinara sauce.

Here is your handout download for the grilled eggplant recipe. 

Grilled EggplantDownload

Check out the new Plant Slant poster at Nutrition Education store!

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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