Chicken Parmesan with Bulgur and Eggplant Bake

I'm no stranger to chicken parmesan recipes, but when I saw this recipe and how easy it came together, I had to try it. The quinoa and eggplant bake sounded fantastic too, but I was out of quinoa and substituted bulgur, which worked great!  I also decided to go with long strips of thinly sliced eggplant rather than chopping it into chunks, so it was almost like an eggplant lasagna.  Delicious!

This meal was absolutely delicious and paired together so well. The chicken parmesan was so easy to make, and the eggplant bake had such great flavor.

The ingredients of the bake seem a little sparse for the size of the pan, and I may switch to a 9x9 or similarly sized casserole dish next time, but it is still definitely workable as written.



Chicken Parmesan with Bulgur and Eggplant Bake
Source: Slightly adapted from Not Your Bubbe's Kitchen

• 4 thin sliced chicken breasts, about 4 ounces each
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 3 egg whites, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup tomato and basil sauce
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Using three shallow dishes, place flour in the first dish, egg whites in the second, and panko in the third, seasoned with the garlic powder, oregano, basil, parsley and 1 tbsp of Parmesan cheese.

Salt and pepper the chicken. Dredge chicken in flour, then egg, then panko mix. Heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken to pan and cook about 5-7 minutes. Add another 1/2 tbsp oil, then flip chicken pieces.  Top with sauce, evenly divided among the chicken pieces, about 1/8 cup on each.  Then top with the remaining 1 tbsp of Parmesan cheese, evenly divided among the chicken pieces, and 1/8 cup of mozzarella on each chicken piece.  Cover skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes more.

• 1 cup bulgur
• 1 1/4 cups of water
• 3 cups of peeled, diced eggplant
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 tbsp part skim ricotta cheese
• 1.5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup tomato and basil pasta sauce

Cook the bulgur according to package directions. Mix all the cheeses together. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Spoon 1/2 of the bulgur in the pan, making a thin layer. Sprinkle in 1/2 of the vegetables: eggplant, onions, tomato, and garlic slices. Drizzle 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce on top of veggies. Dot the top of the sauce with about 1/3 of the cheese mix. Repeat layers, ending with the remaining 2/3 of cheese mix.

Bake at 400 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes.

Spicy Red Pepper Pasta with Eggplant

This was a quick dinner that was very flavorful with the eggplant and spicy red pepper sauce.  I loved the sauce so much and can't wait to have it again!

Spicy Eggplant and Red Pepper Pasta
Source: Cook Like a Champion / Good Things Catered


Ingredients:

• 3/4 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small eggplant, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 large red pepper, sliced into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 pound penne or pasta or your choosing
• Spicy Red Pepper Sauce (recipe follows)
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions:
-In large stock pot with salted water, cook pasta according to manufacturers directions to just al dente.
-In large non-stick pan (important with the eggplant) heat oil over medium high heat.
-Add eggplant and cook, stirring constantly, until beginning to become tender, about 10 minutes.
-Add red pepper and continue sauteing until peppers become crisp tender, about 3-5 minutes.
-Add pasta sauce and stir to combine, bringing to a slight simmer.
-Add pasta and stir to combine.
-Top with fresh parsley

Spicy Red Pepper Sauce

• 3/4 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup white onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 large red pepper, roasted (fresh is best, but the jarred kind will work fine)
• 14 ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
-In bowl of food processor, pulse roasted red peppers until relatively smooth and set aside.
-In large stock pot over medium heat, heat oil.
-Add diced onion and cook until translucent and just beginning to brown.
-Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
-Add pureed red peppers and chopped tomatoes and heat until starting to bubble.
-Turn heat to a simmer and add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.
-If storing, remove from heat and place in airtight containers in fridge once cooled.
-If serving immediately, simmer until begins to bubble and serve. 

Farfalle with Roasted Eggplant and Ricotta

I needed to use up some ricotta and eggplant, so I went off in search of...something different.  I didn't want lasagna or some other eggplant/cheese/red sauce bake.  As soon as I saw this recipe, I couldn't wait to make it.  With my soft spot for baking, I was intrigued at the thought of using cocoa powder in something other than a sweet treat. 

When the eggplant was finished roasting and I pulled the tray out of the oven - I immediately knew I'd picked the right recipe.  Just as the author states - the cinnamon wafts up to your nose, and the cocoa is just barely there.  They both add a wonderful dimension to the dish, which, with the creamy ricotta sauce, serves as a fantastic alternative to marinara based recipes for ricotta and eggplant. 

Farfalle with Roasted Eggplant and Ricotta
Down-sized and slightly adapted from: Burp! Recipes
Serves 2-3

• 3/4 pound eggplant, cleaned and cut into small cubes
• 1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
  
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cocoa powder
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil, for roasting
• 2 tablespoon chopped walnuts
  
• 5 oz low fat ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley or 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
  
• 1/3 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated
• 6 ounces farfalle pasta (whole wheat, or our favorite - Barilla Plus)
  

1.  Preheat oven to 425ºF. Toss eggplant and onion with cinnamon and cocoa powder. Arrange on a large baking sheet. Drizzle liberally with olive oil. Bake, stirring occasionally until tender, about 25 minutes. Scatter the chopped walnuts on top of the eggplant and return to the oven, cook an additional 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, parsley, romano, and salt and pepper (to taste). Set aside.

3.  Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water when draining the pasta. Add the pasta to the ricotta mixture, adding enough pasta water to loosen the sauce. Add the roasted eggplant and mix well.  Serve immediately.

Moussaka

Wow, this was fabulous! I had a huge sack of potatoes from the sweet potato gnocchi, and this seemed like a good way to use them up. It was somewhat labor intensive and takes about 2 hours to make, but it was definitely worth it! The instructions call for two layers of potato/eggplant, but I only had enough eggplant to make one layer, and the picture in the magazine one looked like it had one. Also, I don't have a 12x9 casserole dish, so I used two smaller corningware dishes and it worked out fine. Naturally, the second slice came out perfect, while the first slice that I got out to photograph looked like crap. Oh well!


Moussaka
Source: Clean Eating Magazine, May/June 2009
Serves: 8

2 lbs white potatoes, peeled, left whole
12 oz extra lean ground beef (I used 1 pound ground turkey)
1/2 onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cups tomato puree
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t oregano
1 bay leaf
olive oil cooking spray
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/3 inch slices.
1 cup low fat sour cream (or greek yogurt)
1/4 c evaporated skim milk
1 egg
2 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425. Fill a large pot halfway with water, cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, until firm but not fully cooked. Strain and set potatoes aside to cool.

2. While potatoes are cooking, brown meat with onion and garlic in a 2-qt pot over medium heat, breaking up meat into little pieces for about 4-5 minutes, until vegetables are tender and meat is no longer pink. Pour in tomato puree and 1 C water. Mix in cinnamon, pepper, oregano and bay leaf. Lower heat to simmer and cook, covered, 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cover 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil and mist with cooking spray. Lay eggplant slices on sheet and lightly mist again with cooking spray. Bake in oven about 8 minutes. While eggplant cooks, slice potatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Remove eggplant, transfer to plate, raise oven temperature to 475, re-spray foil and lay potato slices on cookie sheets. Lightly mist potatoes with cooking spray and bake in oven for 8 minutes. Remove. Lower oven temp to 350.

4. Make bechamel sauce: In a separate bowl, mix sour cream, milk and egg until blended; mixture should be thick.

5. Spray a 12x9-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Arrange 1 layer of potatoes in dish, top with layer of eggplant, then pour all of turkey mixture over top. Top again with layer of potatoes and then eggplant. Finish with bechamel. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake in oven for 45 minutes, until set and lightly brown. If not brown, raise temp to 400 and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Number of Servings: 8

Eggplant Parmesan with Bulgur and Pine Nuts

I am loving Clean Eating Magazine. I got my second issue recently and discovered a ton of recipes I couldn't wait to try. I loved the sound of the eggplant parmesan - it looked easy to make, didn't take that long, and actually had a great presentation. Best of all, it was delicious! I don't have bulgur, so I used couscous instead.



Eggplant Parmesan with Bulgur and Pine Nuts
Source: Clean Eating Magazine, Sept/Oct 2009
Serves 6

Olive oil cooking spray
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
3/4 cup whole wheat panko or bread crumbs
6 tbsp low-fat parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 globe eggplants (about 2 1/4 pounds total)
1 1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup bulgur (or cous cous)
2 medium tomatoes (about 14 ounces), cut into large chunks
1 tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste
2 cloves garlic
12 large basil leaves, divided
1 cup part-skim, low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat 2 rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Place egg whites in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine panko, parmesan, oregano, garlic powder and salt. Trim ends off eggplants and cut each eggplant crosswise into six 3/4-inch slices. One at a time, dip eggplant slices in egg whites, then panko mixture, arranging coated slices on prepared baking sheets. Bake until eggplant is tender and golden brown, about 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over high heat, bring chicken broth to a boil. Stir in bulgur, cover, turn off heat and set aside for 30 minutes. (For cous cous: Add cous cous to a bowl, pour in boiled chicken broth. Cover with a cloth or large plate, let sit for 10 minutes then fluff with a fork.)

4. While eggplant is cooking and bulgur is softening, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic and 8 basil leaves in a food processor and pulse to make a chunky sauce. Transfer to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened slightly, 8 to 10 minutes.

5. Remove eggplant from oven and preheat boiler. Arrange an oven rack about 8 inches from heating element.

6. Spoon tomato sauce over eggplant slices, dividing it evenly. Sprinkle mozzarella over tomato sauce, dividing it evenly. Use a spatula to place 6 eggplant slices on top of 6 others, making six 2-slice stacks on 1 baking sheet. Broil until mozzarella is browning on top and melted in the middle, about 3 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, chop or thinly slice remaining 4 basil leaves. Stir basil and pine nuts into bulgur. Serve alongside eggplant parmesan.

Evelyn's Favorite Pasta

I recently had a dish by this name at the Cheesecake Factory and totally fell in love! Normally, I am all for having sauce with my pasta, but this had so much going on that I didn't miss it at all! I immediately wrote down everything that was in the dish so I could recreate it at home. Of course, I loved the combination of flavors, but the other great part was the combination of textures. Soft pasta and roasted eggplant contrasted by crunchy pine nuts and roasted broccoli. This is definitely a new favorite in our house.





Evelyn's Favorite Pasta
Based on the dish from The Cheesecake Factory
Serves 3-4

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced, pressed or grated
salt and pepper
2 chinese eggplant
1 large head broccoli
1 can artichoke hearts, halved or quartered
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (choose low fat to make it clean)
1/3 cup prepared pesto
8-12 ounces penne pasta (choose whole wheat or multigrain (we like Barilla Plus) to make it clean)
handful of fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade

Directions:
Remove the ends from the eggplant. Slice the long way, in thirds, and lay on a cutting board. Salt cut sides of eggplant very well, cover with paper towel and then another cutting board. Place a weight on top of the board. Let stand for 30 minutes, then rinse the eggplant well and cut into 2 inch long pieces.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. When the eggplant is ready and chopped, place in a large bowl. Add chopped broccoli, artichokes, and tomatoes. Combine garlic and olive oil in a small bowl with about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; mix well. Add olive oil mixture to the vegetables and toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with olive oil. Roast vegetables for about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, start heating water for the pasta in a large stock pot. Heat a small saute pan over medium heat, and add the pine nuts. Heat for a few minutes, tossing frequently, until nuts are lightly toasted, then set aside the nuts. When the pasta water has come to a boil, salt generously and add the pasta. Cook according the time instructed on the box.

When pasta is done, drain and add to a large bowl. Add roasted vegetables, kalamatas, cheese, pesto, and toss to combine. Serve and garnish with toasted pine nuts and basil.