Baked Eggplant Parmesan

My buddy Emily inspired me to make this one. I was visiting her at her house and she picked 2 eggplants out of her garden for me. Thank you Em!

I love Eggplant Parmesan but I find that when it is fried it soaks up the oil. So this is a way to cut back on fat and the mess of frying, too. Double dipping, I just love that. I actually like this version much better too. Mangia!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

• 1 or 2 eggplants
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ¼ cup milk, I used fat free
• about 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1 jar pasta sauce, I used Muir Glen Organic Roasted Garlic
• Pam Olive oil spray
• Sargento reduced fat grated, 4 cheese Italian
• grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile slice eggplant into 1/2 inch thick slices. I had a small eggplant and a medium one that made 12 slices.

In 2 medium size bowls add the eggs and milk and mix well then add panko to the other bowl. Dip eggplant into egg mixture, then into panko pressing into panko on both sides. Place on a large baking sheet coated with olive oil spray. When all are coated spray the top of the eggplants with the oil too.

Place in oven and total bake time is 40 minutes but you will need to flip the eggplant after 20 minutes and spray the tops with oil, back to the oven it goes for 15 more minutes.

Meanwhile microwave about half of the jar of pasta sauce until it is hot. Remove eggplant from oven and add the hot pasta sauce on top, then the grated cheeses, cook for 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted and it's golden brown on top.

Easy clean up tip: Line baking sheet with foil before baking.

Italian Style Green Bean Salad

Easy to make, low calorie and low fat never tasted so good. A recipe will not get any easier then this one, but do not be fooled as it is tasty, too. Cool beans for a hot day. Enjoy!

Italian Style Green Bean Salad

• Two 14.5 oz. cans green beans, drained
• 4 slices red onion, sliced thin, then quartered
• 1/4 cup light balsamic dressing, I used Ken's light options
• 1/4 tsp. dried Oregano
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic, chopped from jar
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Drain green beans and place into a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and cover, chill for several hours or overnight.

Italiano Tofu Sandwich

Tofu has a bad rap in some peoples mind, so please keep an open mind and try this baby. I remember my Stud Muffin saying to me, "Don't you ever serve me tofu again." Well, years went by and I was intrigued to try it again. Oh how I just love a challenge. It's the mushy texture and the zero flavor that turn off most people. Folks seem to love it or hate it. But I'm here to tell you there is still hope and to give it one more try my way. I quickly found out that the flavored and baked tofu has great potential. So I made my version of an Italian inspired tofu sandwich. Voila!  When I told my hubby that I was making this sandwich for the food blog and it would be for his lunch tomorrow he was happy and he said "I love that sandwich." I hope you love it too.
Enjoy!

Italiano Tofu Sandwich

• 4 slices of Kalamata Olive Bread
• 1 package of Baked flavored Tofu 6 oz., (savory) or flavor of your choice
• 2 slices of Sargento reduced fat Provolone 
• 1 jar 6 1/2 oz. Goya, Fancy Pimientos
• Sweet or Red onion, sliced very thin
• Sprouts of your choice
• Balsamic Salad dressing, I used Ken's light options
• Fresh Basil

You will only need 4 slices of the bread, so you may freeze or refrigerate the rest for later use. Prepare sandwiches ingredients in order:

1. Open tofu and slice, evenly cutting both pieces into half lengthwise (reducing the thickness of it). Layer 2 tofu slices per sandwich onto bottom slice of bread.
2. Then place 1 slice of provolone on top of tofu, reserving the rest of cheese for later use.
3. Open jar of pimientos and carefully pull out of jar with out breaking up, pat dry with a paper towel, then cover top of tofu with a single layer of pimento. You probably will not use all of it, refrigerate unused pimientos for later use.
4. Layer two thin slices of onion on top of pimentos. 
5. Then add sprouts to cover generously and drizzle them with salad dressing.
6. Add freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste. 
7. Cover up sprouts with fresh Basil leaves (stems removed), this will take the place of lettuce. Place second slice of bread on top and cut into half, serve immediately. Serves 2.
   

You may make this the night before for your lunch the next day. Just wrap up in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Italian Spaghetti Squash Casserole

You can have your spaghetti, and eat it too. This is a perfect use of the winter squashes that are available right now. You can eat more garlic bread and not feel guilty when your spaghetti is made out of squash. I have had some very tough critics enjoy this one.

• 1 large spaghetti squash, about 3lbs.
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium sweet onion diced
• 2 cups white mushrooms sliced thin, or 2 cans sliced mushrooms dr. wt. 4oz., drained
• Pam olive oil spray
• 1 package 1.25 lbs. Shady Brook Farms Italian turkey sausage, hot or sweet
• 1 jar Muir Glen Organic sauce, Garlic Roasted Garlic flavor 25.5 oz.
• 1 can Furmano's pizza sauce, 15 oz. (optional)
• 2 cups grated 4 Italian cheese, reduced fat
• Parmesan, for garnish

To pick a nice spaghetti squash, the yellowest is the best, make sure it does not have any moldy or soft spots.
On a cutting board, with a sharp knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise, you will need strong arms for this part. I use a big stainless steel cooking spoon to scoop out the seeds, then discard. It is a slippery mess! Place squash into a large pyrex dish cut side down and fill with hot water until about 1 ½ inches deep (about 2 cups water). Cover with plastic wrap. Total microwave cooking time is on high for 15-20 minutes. If you can not get both halves to lay completely flat, microwave for 10 minutes until it is soft enough to force down. It is done when a fork inserted into it is tender. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Scoop out squash strands and place into a colander to drain.

Meanwhile you may grill the sausage links or sear them in a skillet, they do not need to be cooked all the way through. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute green pepper, onion and mushrooms in a large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray for about 5 minutes, add Muir Glenn sauce to skillet mixture and mix well. Then add spaghetti squash to this mixture and stir until well blended.
















In a 9 x 13 inck pyrex dish sprayed with olive oil add squash mixture. Add sausage links on outer edges, two on each side and one link at each end on the outer edges. If mixture seems dry, add optional pizza sauce at this time over the top. Cover with grated cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Let sit for 5 minutes and cut into like lasagna and serve placing a sausage link on the plate as well. Garnish with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Italian Minestrone

Tomatoes and zucchinis are in abundance now. Use them up in this healthy but so delicious minestrone. Garnish it with grated parmesan and you will be in love.

• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 ½ cups chopped carrot
• 1 cup diced green pepper
• 5 cups cubed zucchini and yellow squash
• 4 cups chopped fresh Roma tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth or Chicken Base*
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. dried basil leaves
• ½ tsp. dried oregano leaves
• 1 Tbsp. chopped minced garlic from jar
• Parmesan cheese (optional garnish)
• ½ cup whole wheat pasta (elbow or shells)
• 1 can 15.5 oz can dark red kidney beans (undrained)
• ½ cup Benefiber powder (optional)

In a large Dutch oven pot combine first ten ingredients. Add Benefiber at this time if you want it. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes. Add the beans and pasta and bring to a boil again then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

If you like to chop veggies then this is your recipe. This is a healthy recipe that will satisfy and surprise you about how good it tastes. Parmesan is a high calcium low fat cheese. I like to use kidney beans with no added salt as well.

*I also like to use chicken base to make my chicken broth. Just follow instructions on jar.