Eggplant Parmesan with Honey Almond Kale
We had my mother in law over, and it was a fun night! Although I think I did about 100 dishes and cleaned the counters about 5 times throughout the production!! It was a mess.
I sipped on a diet tonic + lime with a small splash (~1/3 oz) of gin while we cooked.
I wouldn’t say this was one of our best recipes in terms of procedure, but it sure tasted great. We did the whole flour-egg whites-breadcrumbs dredge and then used a very small layer of EVOO (480 kcal worth!) to fry the eggplants. Well, I think you have to use a LOT of oil to make this successful! Plus our breadcrumbs (which were homemade focaccia breadcrumbs) were too big and lots fell off. By the time we got to my 3 eggplants there was no more oil so we just used cooking spray (I didn’t mind saving 120 kcal at least!) But it tasted great!
Here was the first batch cooking:
We also made Alton Brown’s Pantry Friendly Tomato Sauce (with our own modifications) which involves broiling a can of whole tomatoes – delicious sauce!! The eggplant got topped with this sauce once cooked and then with a sprinkle of low-fat mozzarella and broiled for about 7 minutes. The cheese browned perfectly!
We also sauteed some kale and topped it with toasted almonds and a drizzle of honey –
Dinner calories were roughly 530 but it’s really hard to guess portions with so many pieces of eggplant and oil flying everywhere. I think I got it pretty accurate though. With tea to drink –
Snacks
While out on my errands this afternoon I stopped and got a small cappuccino…
And split a KIND bar with the husband around 4:30 when we walked to the grocery story for our dinner supplies and more errands in the shopping center. About 45 minutes of walking!
Dessert…
Mini vitamuffins and hot chocolate made with skim milk and Nesquik. Can you tell what I’m craving today!?
VeggieGirl says
kale & almonds = what a delectable combination!!
Beth says
If you don’t want to deal with frying (even healthy frying is a pain), I like to bake my eggplant first. I drege it like you did, plus drizzle or spray it lightly with oil, then make it at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or so, until it’s tender and crisp around the edges. Once you layer it with cheese and sauce and bake it off, it’s hard to tell it’s not pan fried.
Ohh, now I want some…. 🙂
Lisa says
Kath,
That banana stuff you made the other morning looks so yummy! You said you cooked them on the stove. How exaclty did you make them? Did you add any milk or water as you cooked them on the stove?How many bananas? How long did you cook them for? I think it looks like such a good idea and I can’t wait to try it!
Ala says
WOW!!! Please share with me where you get all your meal ideas? Everything you make is like out of a Martha Stewart magazine. 🙂
Jennifer says
Quick question how long do you fry the eggplant for, just an estimate would be fine. I love eggplant and never make it, so I need to try. Hope school is going well. I am having a hard time with A&P II, so much info! I just need to get more disciplined with it.
Take Care
Brianne says
Lisa- I’m not Kath but I make my oatmeal the same way- it is sooo good. Basically you make the old fashioned oats the way you normally do except you add fresh sliced banana when you add the oats to boiled milk/water instead of adding banana on top of the made oatmeal. Does that make sense? It makes the oatmeal sweet and creamy.. yum!
Brianne says
Sorry I reread your comment and I am not sure if you were referring to this morning breakfast?
Kath says
Great suggestion Beth! I also thought at dinner that drilled eggplant topped with sauce/cheese would be just as good! I doubt we’ll be frying anything else in the near future…
Lisa,
See the breakfast post for the husband’s response. Just put said ingredients in pot and stir away until desired thickness! Brianne’s exactly right with the method too. (Thanks!)
Ala,
I hear “eggplant parm” and think “that would be good.” I research recipes to get style ideas and then pick my favorite style and ingredients and alter the recipes based on what we have on hand and how I think they’d be healthier. Just think about what meal you’d like to make and then go find a fun way to make it!
Hi Jennifer!,
Physio is also VERY difficult!! We fried it for maybe 3-5 minutes? Just check to see when it’s golden brown. And be sure your heat is on medium and not high or it will burn before it’s cooked!
Kath
Lisa says
Thanks for such a quick response Brianne and Kath! And sorry I didn’t see that post the Husband made before! Sometimes I think I am really blind! I’m going to make some tomorrow morning!! YUM!!
sp says
Love the idea of calorie counting, but don’t know if I have time to do it. You are a busy girl, as am I + a baby. How much time does it add to the meal planning, prep, cooking process etc to measure and calculate calories?
Ala says
I love that you create meal ideas based on inspiration and gut feeling! I am going to try that out more 🙂
Rae says
Hey Kath, How do you sautee your kale, mustard greens etc? They always look good, i’ve never tried either my greens are alway raw and in salad form, but that gets redundant having a “side salad” ALL the time. Thanks! I LOVE your blog you really do an amazing job keeping up with this and all of the recipes look SO delicious.
Fig says
kath,
eggplant is like a sponge. try marinating it in tomato sauce first. It soaks up what it wants then when you bake or fry you only need oil as a non stick solution.
anonymous says
What are your goals? Are you trying to maintain your weight or lose? I counted your calories and after your workouts it seems like you don’t take in enough.
Kelley says
Hey Kath. I was wondering if you, or anyone else, have heard about “Orthorexia”? I first heard of the term a year or so ago, and after learning more about it, have loosened up my formally too-strict healthy eating regime.
I ask because sometimes I see my old habits in your current habits. I am a type-A perfectionist who, I feel, shares quite a few personality traits with you. I feel sometimes your quest for total and complete healthy living can get a bit too extreme and obsessive.
It’s great to strive to live a healthy lifestyle (I still do, although not as strictly), but sometimes I feel people just have to go with the flow and LIVE LIFE instead of trying to plan and control the heck out of it.
I guess I was just wondering if you had heard of Orthorexia and what your thoughts are about healthy living going too far.
Here’s a link to Wikipedia’s entry on Orthorexia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthorexia_nervosa
Anonymous says
Well said, Kelley. In the past I have had these tendencies myself, and in in reading this blog for a few months, I think Kath is in eating disorder territory as well. There’s a whole spectrum of eating disorders that overlap, and I see some of these behaviors in Kath’s regime.
Rebecca says
Kath, do you know if decaf tea counts toward the eight cups of water I am supposed to drink a day. I have heard such mixed things and I don’t want to find out I am not getting the benefits of water.
Nicole says
Kath I LOVE vitamuffins. Is there a reason you choose to make your own?
Ana says
i just wanted to say-Kath, i LOVE yours and the husband’s great recipe ideas! i was always so afraid to try really intricate dishes while dieting b/c i thought the calories would be too great, but you have shown me not to be afraid to try meals and i have even invented some of my own recipes! kudos to you two!!^_^
Sara says
to Anon:
So you are saying that you think that Kath is is ‘eating disorder territory’ because she is living a healthy lifestyle maintaining her weight loss and counting calories? It seems like many are in that territory, myself included, by your standards then, and I have to say that I really do not agree.
While I do understand that some healthy lifestyles people lead do have to be watched so they don’t become obsessive, I don’t think it is fair for you to be the judge of if someone has or is close t having an eating disorder based on what you see on a food blog. The blog is a small part of Kath’s life and is supposed to be all about food.
I of course think it is fine for you to have your opinions, but myself, and I am sure other readers who love this blog because of all the positiveness, would appreciate if you would keep negativitey and scrutiniy in regards to eating disorders to yourself. We just want to keep things fun and positive here! And Kath has a right to her own habits, and she makes it clear that she does what works for her and doesn’t encourage anyone to do anything without the proper advice and such.
Erin says
JEEZ people. Do not take things so seriously. ANY comment that is not bright-cheery-happy-sunshine-rainbows is taken as an all-out-negative attack. It’s ok to ask questions and to offer opinions and insight. It’s LIFE.
And I’m tired of everyone acting like Kath, and even Cristin from Eat Like Me, are sensitive, “wounded birds.” When you have a blog on the Internet and are allowing parts of your life to be viewed by anyone, differing opinions are bound to arise. I’m sure these two professional women can handle it.
Yes, some of the comments can be downright crude, but I’m sure they don’t curl up in balls and cry over every little one they receive.
Hopefully it’s constructive critiscm in that it’s helping them to broaden their own current views, habits and opinions, and then evolve, change, adjust or continue to stand-up for their current beliefs and actions.
Sometimes I wish a guy would start a healthy living blog that I could view and participate in through constructive, roll-off-the-shoulders comments. Women can be so catty!
Becky says
I think Americans would be much healthier and less obese if we all had a form of “Orthorexia.”
Kelley says
Perhaps physically healthier, but certainly not mentally healthier. How does that make it better?
Kate from Ck says
I do not comment on here much but I read Kath’s blog everyday. I just wanted to comment on Kelley and Anon’s comments to Kath. First of all wikeapedia is a terrible source. Anyone can get on and edit it. Second, the term orthorexia states that a person “may avoid certain foods, such as those containing fats, preservatives, or animal products, and suffer malnutrition.” From my recollection Kath does eat these in moderation. She has a healthy balance in her life.
Kate from CK says
P.S. How many of us have a perfectly healthy mental relationship with food? I believe in our society it takes many years to strike a healthy relationship with food both mentally and physically. The book Fit from Within, which Kath suggests, gives tips on reaching that balance.
Anonymous says
Hi – I was the person that stated that she agreed with Kelley’s opinion. Let me be clear: I really enjoy this blog and really like Kath a lot! She has a done a great job in getting to where she is healthwise. And, I understand why she is hanging on to the mentality that helped her to lose weight.
As a few others commented, just because our/my observation is not entirely praising of Kath, it doesn’t make it wrong or mean-spirited. It’s a good topic of discussion for us all, I think. And, I fully agree with the poster that commented ” who among us has a healthy mental relationshoip with food?”
As I stated, I have recognized this tendency in myself in the past, and for sure, do not have a perfect relationship with food. But, it has moved in a better direction and continues to do so. It is indeed hard to stay on a moderate but still healthy path.
Kath shares a lot of her life with us, and for the most part, her life revolves around food and exercise (and logging the food and exercise.) I just think that even though Kath is not underweight and appears physically, I think the control/obsession with perfection and calculation of every morsel consumed and purged could be problematic for her if she continues on this path.
grace says
I think we should all be reminded that eating disorders are not just about food, if at all. It is a manifestation of deeper issues. To suggest disordered eating is difficult to do. Even an expert reading this blog would have difficulty diagnosing or seeing signs of an eating disorder just from a simple blog.
I personally find Kath’s habits are great examples of healthy living. I read the acknowledgements of too much oil or a lot of cream are just facts for the reader to show what is in the food she’s eating. It doesn’t seem she cares so much that she may have eaten some good soup with cream!
I’m not criticizing anyone for their comments or even defending anyone, just sharing my opinion!
Becky says
I totally agree with Grace. This blog is about…FOOD. To suggest that someone has disordered or obsessive tendencies based on what you read on a blog about FOOD is absurd. Of course it seems like this is all Kath thinks about, because that is what it is about!
Also, when I said that Americans would be healthier if we had some form of Orthorexia, I meant that if we thought about what is in our food, and ate less processed, artificial, fatty and fake foods, we would be healthier. Disagree?
Ala says
I agree with the above post (Grace)…none of us are in the position to make any sure judgments about Kath and how she lives her life. yes I have suspected that she may have orthorexia as well, but what it comes down to is that it is none of my business in the end. I take great meal ideas and inspiration from this blog, and I chose to ignore things I don’t agree with (weighing foods and exact calorie counting LONG TERM).
Anonymous says
Grace – You are right–eating disorders are not about food and you are right that eating disorders are very complex and none of us is in a position to diagnose her. I wasn’t and I don’t think the original poster, Kelley was. I am sure many folks visiting and enjoying this site agree, but don’t want to speak up that Kath’s habits, which are understandable in weight-loss mode, are now unnaturally rigid and food-exercise focused. Does her body really need that extra walk at lunchtime when she has been walking all over campus in the course of her day? It’s just a point that I think is relevant. Your point is well-taken as well.
SawSaw says
When I first started reading this blog I was a bit skeptical of Kath’s lifestyle. However, after reading many posts and getting a full picture of how Kath eats on a daily basis, I think she achieves a good balance. She is not isolating herself in any way in order to only eat healthy and her healthy eating habits to not hinder her ability to lead a happy life therefore I think she is in fact HEALTHY. She has wine with some of her meals, she snacks when hungry, she eats with relatives and allows splurges–she is just simply aware of her overall food choices. I think she is actually a good model of moderation rather than obsessiveness.
Kath says
SP,
Not as much time as you think, but it certainly gets easier with practice. My mom keeps a simple journal and writes calorie estimates on the sidelines. She just ballparks, but it works great for her – she’s lost 15 pounds! I’m not sure where you are on your quest for healthy eating, but perhaps you could start by just keeping a journal of the foods you eat and try calorie counting if you are not seeing success?
Thanks Rae!,
We just spray a hot (medium high?) skillet with cooking spray and add the greens. Sometimes we use 1-2 tsp of olive oil, and sometimes we just use cooking spray. The hardest part is getting the greens to fit in your pot – you probably want to use the biggest one you have because they will be falling out all over the place in the beginning and will cook down to maybe 10% of how they started. We have a big wide pan we use or you could use a soup stockpot. Greens are definitely our “salad” in the winter!
Kelley,
Thanks for sharing – I have never heard of Orthorexia. The description suggests extreme limitation in diet: “The subject may avoid certain foods, such as those containing fats, preservatives, or animal products, and suffer malnutrition.” The only foods I will not eat are those with trans-fat, which is because doctors and researchers have found nothing good out of them (and I’m sure I eat them unknowingly on occasion). I eat butter, ice cream, cake, animal products (although I don’t think there’s anything unhealthy about avoiding animal products!), chocolate, peanut butter, wine and just about anything I want. I eat in restaurants, go out with friends, enjoy family occasions – all what I consider to be in moderation. I don’t think a doctor would classify me as malnourished. I have heard of people who are terrified to eat dinner out at a restaurant or a meal prepared by someone else for fear they might have to eat something “unhealthy” and they become a recluse to society and avoid all social occasions. I don’t think I really fit that description. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with those who choose raw foods diets or other ways of eating who never eat sugar, processed food, etc. as long as it does not interfere with their personal wellbeing and happiness. I will remember this disorder as I continue in my nutrition studies.
Rebecca,
From what I’ve read about the current dietary recommendations, coffee and tea can be counted toward fluid intake, but that has been raised from 8 glass to 11 glasses per day, depending on lifestyle factors and exercise. I count tea as a “glass of water” but I don’t count coffee. Not really for any particular reason, but tea just seems more watery to me!
Nicole,
I actually haven’t had the “real” ones before – only the mixes. Not sure why! Maybe because they’re in the frozen section and I’m always too cold to venture over there for too long 🙂 I bought this mix a long time ago and probably won’t buy it again just because it was expensive (as are the Vitamuffins). Next time I hope to make the mini muffins from scratch, which is much more cost efficient.
Thanks Ana! Keep cooking!
As for the eating disorder discussion, I agree with those that pointed out that this blog is only a small snapshot of my whole life.
Kath