People might have varying opinions about eggplants, but to be very fair with this produce, it’s one of the easiest things to sneak into one’s diet.
Just how enjoyable can this ingredient be? For one, it can be a low-calorie alternative to potatoes. It can definitely let you enjoy ‘fries’ without the guilt. How?
Let this recipe for air fried eggplant show you.
Ingredients
1 medium (1 -1 ¼ lbs) eggplant, sliced into strips
2 large eggs
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup wheat germ, toasted
1 tsp Italian seasoning
¾ tsp garlic salt
2 tbsp olive oil or cooking spray
Optional:
1 cup meatless pasta sauce, heated
Dipping sauce of your choice
Instructions:
- Prepare your eggplants. Slice them up according to your desired fry size and length then add some salt for seasoning. Let it sit for up to 45 minutes to remove its excess moisture.
- Pre-heat your air fryer to 400F.
- Prepare the ingredients. In one bowl, whisk the eggs. In another, mix the wheat germ, cheese, and seasonings. These will serve as your breading.
- Dip the sliced eggplants into the egg and then cover it with the breading. Dip it first in the egg, then, on the cheese mixture.
- Spray the cooking basket with some cooking oil. Place the ingredients inside the fry basket and cook for 5-7 minutes before turning the ingredients. Make sure not to overcrowd your fry basket when cooking this dish as it needs better air penetration due to the breading.
- Turn and then cook for another 5 to 7 minutes or until they eggplant fries are crispy.
Health Benefits of Eating Eggplant:
The eggplant might not really seem like much but it also has quite a number of health benefits that you might want to take advantage of. Some of these are the following:
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- It’s rich in fiber. It can easily aid your digestion and keep your blood sugar levels in check.
- It’s a very low-calorie ingredient. A cup of this produce will only set you back with 20 calories!
- It also contains some protein, manganese, potassium, vitamins K and C, as well as folate.
- It contains various chemicals that can help improve the health of various organs. These include anthocyanins which can be good for your heart. It also contains solasodine rhamnosyl glycosides which are said to have cancer-fighting properties. It also has nasunin which is said to help improve blood flow to the brain.
- It’s rich with antioxidants which help in fighting free radicals that can affect the healthy cells in the body.
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The fact that eggplants are also very easy to add to your diet means that it could be one of the best ingredients to help you add some variety and nutrients to your diet.
It can open you up to the wonderful world of fruits and vegetables and make you realize that fresh produce can also work as excellent comfort foods.
I tried this wonderful recipe, and found it delicious! I have never had much exposure to eggplant, so this was a real eye opener! Definitely would recommend trying this. I intend to keep exploring different ways to use this ingredient!