Crispy Eggplant Provolone

First, I love eggplant. 

Second, I had no idea how good this meal was going to be until I took my first bite.  Perfectly crispy on the outside and really juicy on the inside. It tastes so unhealthy... but it's nottt! Yum. (yeah, there's grilled chicken there too, but, the focus is on eggplant tonight)

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This is easyyy... and could definitely be made as an appetizer instead of an accompaniment to a meal... either way!

1. Slice eggplant into 1/4 discs and then in half, then drizzle with extra virgin o/o.

2. Dip and coat in egg. 

3. Mix together panko and herbs de provence (these should be an herb staple in your house). I used whole wheat panko and white panko. The whole wheat version is actually super bland so if I go to use it - I always mix it with the white. White is FINE if that's all you have!

4. Coat the eggplant in the panko mixture and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. 

4.   Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes, flip them and bake for another 7 minutes (can drizzle a little more extra virgin, if necessary) then take 1-2 slices of provolone, tear it into pieces and place on top of eggplant. Bake for another 3 minutes.

(So, I broke the rules and used Provolone instead of Parmesan on my eggplant, don't be afraid to break the rules!) 

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While the eggplant's bakin' and the chicken's grillin'... mix up a pesto-like mixture in the food processor: basil, garlic, parmesan, feta, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and salt is what I used tonight. Classic pesto would also be good. Mix it up and lightly pour it over the top of the entire meal ( a little goes a long way).

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Serve it up and you're done. This would be a great vegetarian meal (sans the chicken), a great app with the pesto dipping sauce, or as I had it tonight, as dinner! 

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Have a great weekend! xo

Meals of the Week: Pesto

Over the weekend, I was thinking that many times I post recipes on here that use a lot of different ingredients. I like to do that to give you all some variety in your meal plans and show some creativity.  Then, I got to thinking about the comment I often hear when discussing buying organic and/or healthy foods... "It's really expensive". It is expensive, I can't deny that. That being said, there are definitely cost saving ways to eat healthy on a budget. And sooo... getting to my point... I'm going to start posting weekly meals that contain the same staple ingredients. Each meal will be really different and still show some creativity!

Alright so, guys, remember my little garden I planted back at the beginning of June? This, is how my little basil plants looked before. Now look.

I cannot keep up.

And so, I make pesto!  I made this pesto a little differently. As much as I love me some pine nuts, I try to avoid making some recipes with nuts because 1) my mom can't have nuts so I try to modify things for her 2) sometimes I just don't have them in my fridge. Here's how I made this one:

- Overflowing handful of basil

- Clove of garlic

- Parmesan (1/4-1/2 cup)

- Extra virgin o/o (1/4 - 1/2 cup)

- Handful of chickpeas - replaces the pine nuts (another staple of the week) 

- Squeeze of lemon juice

Last night, I made a simple tomato salad with toasted chickpeas, cucumbers, feta & pesto. Light and refreshing.

It doesn't look like much, but, it was actually rather filling with the chickpeas. I also had snacked on some hummus while I made the pesto. This is a great "Meatless Monday" meal. Chickpeas provide the protein, tomatoes have lycopene - great for recovery, garlic is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and a great antioxidant!

Today, I whipped up some barilla protein plus pasta with shrimp, baby bella mushrooms, & pesto. I was STARVING after boxing. Two days in a row of really difficult classes. Sprints, sprints, and more sprints. Sprints. For. Days. I needed some serious recovery tonight.  

Need: 

- Barilla protein plus pasta

- Pesto from yesterday

- Baby bella mushrooms

- Garlic

- Crushed Red Pepper

- Shrimp (I always keep a bag of frozen shrimp in my freezer) 

I think I ate this in 7.5 seconds. So good. Lots of protein from the pasta & shrimp. Carbs from the pasta. Anti-inflammatories, anti-oxidants from the garlic, pesto, & mushrooms! Let me know if you need any additional ideas! Have an awesome week! xo