Eggplant Fries

It's Monday again. Can't wait until Thursday.

A week of studying, midterms and writing awaits me. Oh and hectic workouts. I'm doing Insanity and it's killing me--feel like throwing up killing me. But I'm relaxed... or at least for now.

These days I find myself freaking out one second and fine the next. It's not cool. My crazy-stress-over-everything self is coming out more often than not. So what am I doing about it? Cooking. Problem is I don't always get around to the writing part. Yeah I know writer's block is like blah, blah, blah to most people, but it's definitely invading my life at the moment. But here is tonight's effort to change it.

And moving onto food...

I recently found an awesome blog with great healthy recipes. I am obsessed; it's my idea of gourmet heaven. So basically I have bookmarked a ton of recipes that I will hopefully be making in the near future. Today I decided to try eggplant fries. They're easy to make, yummy and "skinny." Enjoy!

Baked Eggplant Stickers

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup Italian season breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons finely grated (or shredded) Parmesan cheese
• 2 egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with oil. 
2. Remove ends of eggplant and slice into 1/4 inch pieces. Cut in half and then into 1/4 inch sticks. Place in a large bowl and dress with olive. Season with salt and pepper and toss until well coated.
3. Combine breadcrumbs and cheese in a bowl. Place egg whites in a separate bowl. Dip a couple of eggplant sticks in the egg whites and transfer to breadcrumbs. Toss to coat and transfer to lined baking sheets. 
4. Spray eggplant with more oil and bake for 10 minutes. Turn and bake for another 5 minutes or until toasted. Serve warm.

Eggplant & Tomatoes

I've been bad about cooking. Very bad. But what can I say, just as some days (or weeks) I feel the sudden urge to cook or bake, there is others when I feel reluctant to do so.

This has been one of those weeks.

All week long I have been in the "I would much rather order in or buy a salad somewhere" mood. Except for Tuesday. Tuesday was a good day cooking-wise.

I recently came across a recipe of breadless bruschetta on Smitten Kitchen. Eggplant, tomatoes and cheese. My immediate thought, "I need to make this asap." And I did. Less than a week after reading the post on SK, I made my own.

I made a few alterations (which coincidentally were the same thing that SK recommended) since I didn't have all the ingredients. Turns out, the substitutions were delicious.

This eggplant based open-faced-sandwich is a perfect appetizer, side or light supper. Try it!

Eggplant with Diced Tomato and Feta (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil + 2 teaspoons
• 1 large eggplant, in 1/3 inch slices
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, minced
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• S & P

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil using a brush or paper towel. Place eggplant slices on baking sheet in a single layer. Season with S & P. Place in oven and roast for 25-30 minutes. Flip eggplant slices and check underside to see if it is browned, blistery and puffy. If not, roast a little longer.
2. Once cooked, flip eggplant and season other side with S & P. Return to oven and roast for 10-12 more minutes. Again, check to see that slices are done.
3. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, feta cheese, onion, capers, parsley, and vinegar in a large bowl. Season with S & P. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil.
4. Place eggplant slices on plate and top with tomato melange. Serve immediately.