Your blood sugar will be sure to salute you this
Independence Day if you grill up some of this: eggplant.
Purple-skinned eggplant is full of phenols that help your body
better use blood sugar. And that’s great, because you don’t need
extra blood sugar running around. Too much in the bloodstream could
wreak havoc with your organs. But that’s not all eggplant’s
got . . .
More Phenol Superpowers
In addition to favorable effects on blood sugar, eggplant’s
supercharged phenols may also inhibit an enzyme tied to high blood
pressure. Plus, the phenols have antioxidant actions.
Go purple power!
Ways to Do Eggplant Right
Yup, eggplant sure is one heck of a disease fighter -- and it’s
quite versatile to boot. You can feature it in a crowd-pleasing dip:
Roasted Eggplant Dip
Mellow roasted garlic sets
this version of the popular Middle Eastern eggplant dip apart from
standard recipes. Roasting the onion and tomato alongside the
eggplant also adds an extra dimension of flavor. Serve with sliced
raw vegetables, crackers or pita bread.
Makes 2 1/2
cups
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL
TIME: 1 hour
EASE
OF PREPARATION: Easy
1 large head garlic
1 eggplant (1-1 1/4 pounds), cut in half lengthwise
1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 ripe tomato, cored, sliced in half and seeded
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Set oven racks at the two
lowest levels; preheat to 450°F. Peel as much of the papery skin
from the garlic as possible and wrap loosely in foil. Bake until the
garlic is soft, 30 minutes. Let cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place eggplant
halves on the prepared baking sheet, cut-side down. Roast for 10
minutes. Add onion slices and tomato halves to the baking sheet and
roast until all the vegetables are soft, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
Let cool slightly.
3. Separate the garlic cloves and squeeze the soft pulp into a
medium bowl. Mash with the back of a spoon. Slip skins from the
eggplant and tomatoes; coarsely chop. Finely chop the onion. Add the
chopped vegetables to the garlic pulp and stir in the lemon juice,
mint, oil, salt and pepper.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per tablespoon: 11 calories; 0 g fat
(0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrate; 0 g
protein; 0 g fiber; 30 mg sodium; 46 mg potassium.
0 Carbohydrate Servings
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