FitSugar

Healthy Recipe: Eggplant Stacks

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:00:00 PDT

I love finding new ways to use seasonal produce, and lately, the tomatoes here - especially the multicolored heirloom varieties - have been irresistible. One of the best ways to feature fabulous tomatoes is in a classic caprese salad made with mozzarella cheese and basil. Since I found some good-looking basil and eggplant at the farmers market, I decided to try this variation.

To make the dish healthier, I used part-skim mozzarella, and instead of beefsteak tomatoes, I used heirlooms. Though this recipe is designed to yield two appetizer servings, I just ate the two eggplant stacks for dinner with nothing else. It was plenty filling and a great way to work fresh veggies into mealtime. To get the recipe,

Eggplant Stacks
Modified From Quick Simple Food

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 1 1/2- to 2-pound eggplant, trimmed and cut into six 1/2-inch slices 4 1/4-inch thick slices fresh mozzarella (about 4 ounces) 1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into four thick slices 4 large basil leaves, plus more for garnish

Directions
Makes two appetizer servings.

Heat the grill to medium (or the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit).
In a blender or food processor, combine the olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of water. Puree.
Brush the eggplant slices with the olive oil mixture and let stand for 5 minutes.
Grill, turning occasionally, until they just begin to soften (or bake on a greased baking sheet for 12 to 15 minutes).
Place the cheese on 4 slices. Put the tomato slices on a piece of aluminum foil on top of the grill to warm. When the cheese begins to melt, transfer the eggplant slices to a platter. Top the cheese slices with a basil leaf and a warm tomato slice. Top each with another cheese-topped eggplant slice and tomato. Top both with a basil leaf and a plain eggplant slice. Serve hot.

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Molly Sims on the Most Surprising Thing About Pregnancy, Her Glam Maternity Style, and More

Lisa Horten — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:12:58 PDT

She may be 34 weeks pregnant, but that didn't stop mom-to-be Molly Sims from squeezing time into her hectic schedule to chat with us. In addition to her acting and modeling work, Molly was recently named the Global Ambassador for Population Service International (PSI)'s child survival program, Five & Alive, and she's counting down the weeks until the birth of her baby boy.

LilSugar: Congratulations! How are you feeling?
Molly Sims: I'm coming into the end of my third trimester, and there's been a lot of swelling. I've been putting my feet up and soaking them in freezing cold water. That seems to work. We just went on the hospital tour and that made me a little nervous. I kept asking, "What's that?" and Scott [Stuber, Sims's husband] was taking notes on his BlackBerry. I said, "Can you tell we're first-time parents?!"

LS: Any other pregnancy tips and tricks that have worked for you?
MS: My back has been bothering me the whole time and the best investment I made was the Sleep Number bed. You can sleep with your feet up! It's great for my husband and I, and it means that he can rest without my waking him all throughout the night.

LS: You just had your baby shower - how was that?
MS: It was so great, just so much fun. We didn't really have a theme, but afterwards, we had a Cinco de Mayo party with everyone.

LS: Any favorite gifts?
MS: I love [online retailer] Layla Grace, and they sent me this supersoft rocking horse. I also got three great strollers - a Bugaboo that I'll use in New York, the Orbit System, which is supposed to be really easy to take apart, and then Baby Trend sent me a custom one - it's the coolest thing! I walk and hike a lot, so it was important to me to have a really good jogger. What's been great is that all of my friends have been giving me the products that they found really worked. There's so much out there, so that's been really helpful. I've also been working with Margot Stuart at Ready Me Baby. She helped me narrow down my Amazon Wish List to the 15 or so things that I really need.

Keep reading to see what's been the biggest surprise in Molly's pregnancy and her cravings.

So Neat: Bite-Sized Eggplant Parm

Susannah Chen — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:01:36 PDT

Eggplant parm is one of our favorite vegetarian entrées, and we love how it's ideal for feeding a crowd. But did you know that it makes fancy-looking party bites, too?

I came across the creative idea at Carts in the Parc, where FoodParc vendor Fornetti was serving bite-sized antipasto skewers - along with miniature stacks of eggplant parmesan. The execution was elegant, but the idea simple: construct a towering sandwich of battered, fried eggplant slices, mozzarella cheese, and flatbread, then skewer and slice into one-inch mouthfuls. Serve each skewer on its side to show off its layers of flavor and texture, and top it off with marinara sauce and a chiffonade of basil.

Two important takeaways: serve the skewers on their sides to show off their impressive construction, and insert some sort of bread to help secure everything in place. Oh, and takeaway number three: everything tastes better on a stick - eggplant parm included.

Fill Up and Cool Down With Cold Soups This Summer

Heather Dale — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:54:58 PDT

In 90-degree weather, the last thing you want to do is turn on your oven and make a five-course meal. And I get it, there's only so many things you can make without an oven - salads, sandwiches, dips, chips, tomato eggplant stacks, etc. - but don't discount soups just because they are typically served hot. Cold soups are not only delicious during the Summer months, but they also are quick and easy to make, are often filled with fresh, ripe, seasonal vegetables and fruits, are low in calories, and are packed with nutritional goodness.

Similarly to salads, you can get pretty innovative with your soup recipes, too. Need to use up the other half of that watermelon? Try making some watermelon gazpacho. Got some leftover spinach? Whip up some spinach gazpacho.

Keep reading for more cold soup inspiration.