Warm Up With Eggplant Lasagna!

It is freezing in NY this winter. The below eggplant lasagna is the perfect food to warm up with! My favorite thing about this recipe is it's cheap to make and it makes tons of food so you can invite a bunch of friends over, break out the red wine and have a great night in!

Eggplant is a heart healthy, nutrient rich veggie and of course it's got plenty of phytonutrients! The phytonutrient in eggplant we benefit the most from is Nasunin. This acts as an antioxidant in the body and protects cell membranes, particularly those in the brain (I know right, talk about "brain food"!). Nasunin has been shown to protect the fats (lipids) in the brain cell membranes. This is important because these lipids let nutrients in and wastes out of these cells. Help protect these from free-radical damage to keep those brain-cells at peak performance :)
Eating eggplant not only helps protect those brain cells, but also keeps your heart healthy too! Phytonutrients help lower cholesterol and they help relax blood vessels which improves blood flow I think that is soo cool! The dietary fiber in eggplant also lowers cholesterol as well.

So there you have it, 1 food that keeps both your heart and brain- two of the hardest working organs in the body- healthy!

Eggplant Lasagna

2 Large Eggplants, ends trimmed, thinly sliced lengthwise
3 Links lean Turkey Italian Sausage
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 c. diced Yellow Onion
1 tsp Minced Garlic
1 c Marinara Sauce
2 Egg Whites
15 oz. Fat-Free Ricotta Cheese (Approx 1 container)
2 tsp Italian Herb Seasoning
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
2/3 c Shredded Low-Fat Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly coat an 8''x8'' baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside
Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Spray them lightly on top w/ cooking spray. Broil the eggplant (You can also grill) for approx 8 mins (Until tender and lightly browned. Set aside to cool
To prepare the meat sauce, cook the sausage in a nonstick skillet over med-high heat for about 3 min, stirring occasionally to break up clumps. Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic and cook for about 4 mins longer, until the meat is no longer pink. The juices should be cooked dry. Stir in the marinara sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 mins, stirring frequently. The sauce will be very thick.
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine egg whites, ricotta, italian seasoning, and black pepper until well combined.
To assemble the lasagna, spread half of the meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Layer on half of the eggplant slices, followed by half of the ricotta mixture and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with the remaining meat sauce, eggplant slices, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for about 40 mins, or until bubbly and lightly browned. Let stand 5 mins before serving.

Per Serving (Serves 8) 210 cals, 18 g protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat (2 g saturated), 45 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 340 mg sodium


http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=22
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/301005/health_benefits_of_eating_eggplant.html?cat=5

Crunchy Asian Salad

Today I'm posting an absolutely amazing Asian Cabbage Salad with Chicken. This salad offers a nice balance of veggies and protein with a splash of a truly out of this world salad dressing!
Cabbage is the key player here. It's got a crunchy sweet and almost peppery taste that compliments the salad dressing perfectly, and seriously I cannot get over how healthful this veggie is!

Cabbage contains: Vitamin C, Folic Acid, Fiber, Potassium, Vitamin B6, Vitamin K, Calcium, Biotin, Manganese, and Magnesium. Seriously, just reading that makes me want to include it into my diet.

However, cabbage becomes even more fun to eat when you take into account the phytonutrients it contains! Plain and simple: phytonutrients have cancer fighting properties in that they both help cells function and help protect cells from free-radicals & carcinogens.
Glucosinolates are the phytonutrient most prominent in cabbage. Different phytonutrients have different functions- makes sense. So, Glucosinolates are compounds that aid the liver in detoxification. This is pretty cool actually: these compounds signal the genes to increase their production of the enzymes involved in the detox process. Cabbage also contains another kind of phytonutrient called isothiocyanates. These stimulate Phase II of liver detoxification. Your liver works super hard to eliminate toxins in the body, why not give it a hand with such a liver-friendly food :)

Crunchy Asian Salad

Dressing:

1/4 c. soy sauce

3 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

3 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp minced ginger

2 cloves garlic minced

3/4 low sodium chix broth

Salad:

1/2 head of cabbage shredded

1 c. carrots- match stick size

1/2 c scallions for garnish

4 chicken breasts sauteed and cut into strips

Whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, & sesame oil in a bowl. In a sauce pan, over med-high heat ad ginger and garlic. Cook/Stir until fragrant (approx 1-2 mins). Add soy mixture to pan and bring to a simmer. Add broth. Let simmer for approx 8 mins.

In a big bowl combine cabbage, carrots, & chicken. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Place in bowls and garnish with a handful of scallions and enjoy!

Really this is one of my favorite dishes. The first time I made it my little brother asked me for the recipe and he NEVER does that!