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https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/

 

If it’s late summer or early fall, chances are you’re gonna be eating some eggplant. The peak season for eggplant is between July and October. But really, you can find them year-round at practically any grocery store.

 

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One of the tastiest dishes you can make, of course, is eggplant parmesan! You can’t go wrong with this veggie-rich, one-dish meal. You can even prepare it ahead of time, and pop it in the oven when things get too busy.

 

When you’re choosing your eggplants for this dish, look for eggplants that feel heavy and have firm, glossy skin. Skip the ones that have soft or brown spots.

 

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

 

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Ingredients:

 

  • 12 slices of eggplant, sliced about ½ inch thick
  • 2 egg whites
  • ½ cup almond flour
  • 3/4 cup natural no-sugar-added marinara sauce
  • 44 grams of mozzarella cheese
  • Olive oil
  • Fresh basil leaves (optional)

 

Directions:

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350º F
  2. Heat frying pan with 4 Tbsps of olive oil.
  3. Dip eggplant into the egg whites and then coat them (or “bread them”) with the almond flour.
  4. Fry for 2-3mins per side until golden brown.

    TIP: Don’t want to fry them? Bake them! Lay the eggplant slices out in a single layer on a large baking pan, brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt (skip the egg/almond flour) and bake at 450º for about 30-40 minutes. Once they’re baked, go on to Step 5. Remember to lower the oven temperature back to 350º later when you’re ready to bake the assembled meal.

  5. Spread 1/4 cup of the marinara onto the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish.
  6. Place a layer of the fried (or baked) eggplant slices (6 of them) into the baking dish.
  7. Use another 1/4 cup of marinara and scoop a little bit onto the top of each eggplant slice. Then add another eggplant slice to it, ending up with 6 stacks of 2 eggplant slices each.
  8. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of marinara over them, and sprinkle with the cheese and some more almond flour.

    Optional: top with a few fresh basil leaves before putting in the oven, or save the basil for later (or not at all—you decide).

  9. Bake uncovered in the oven for about 12 minutes until the cheese is melted and the eggplant is hot.

 

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*If you’re preparing this as a make-ahead meal, do everything up to Step 8, then cover air-tight with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator (or freeze) until you’re ready to bake it.

 

If you like this recipe, you’d love the GGS Recipe Book.

 

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Filed under: Fitness