EGGPLANT PARMESAN

I opened the refrigerator and two eggplants stare at me and I can hear them calling to me “Use me before I go bad on you”! They were lush, bright aubergine in color, devoid of any bruises or blemishes, orbs that deserved proper usage.

My intuition was, would not a Moussaka dinner be just ideal for this cold winter night? After perusing my collection of greek cookbooks, I realize this dish would break the “calorie bank”.

I said to myself, “Self, this does not gel with your January resolutions”.

Therefore, Eggplant Parmesan became the chosen dish. I decided that with some modifications, I could lighten the calorie load.

Instead of frying the eggplant, I cooked it on the grill, skin on, as there is some nutritional value there and it helps to hold the shape.

The mushrooms in the fridge also needed to be cooked so I substituted them for part of the meat. (I used 90% lean, 10% fat ground beef). Bison would also be delcious.

I even saved some time by using bottle marinara sauce instead of my favorite homemade Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese Sauce.

All said and done, this hearty comfort meal was scrumptious and warmed my spirits to brave the winter doldrums!