Eggplant, Goat Cheese and Tomato Tart

By Hklbrries

"It’s a week into the new year. That’s a week of living on salad. Or grilled chicken breast. Or grapefruit. Or whatever magic food you’ve picked to help shed pounds.

Going nuts yet?

Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows that food boredom is a big diet killer. After all, there’s only so much one can do with carrot sticks, skinless chicken breasts and nonfat yogurt. Right?

Wrong.

Francie Radecki, a local leader for Weight Watchers, said one of the biggest things people need to do to lose weight is make sure their healthy food tastes good.

“Make your food plan interesting so you don’t get rid of it,” she said, “because you’ll be doing it for the rest of your life.”

Good point. Any decent weight-loss plan is less about shedding quick pounds than about changing habits to ensure the weight stays off.

Intellectually, we all know that the secret to weight loss is to burn more calories that we consume. The trick is to make those calories taste as great as possible.

“A lot of what I tell people is already out there,” said registered dietitian Elaine Reid, spokeswoman for the Spokane Dietetic Association. “People can go on the Internet and find anything out.”

We know to cook chicken without the skin. We know to trim fat from beef. We know to use herbs. We know to use applesauce and prunes in lieu of fat in baked goods.

Still, sometimes we need inspiration. So, in the spirit of calorie-counters everywhere, here are 10 things you can do to add flavor to your food without adding a lot of fat or calories. “Stop dieting,” Radecki said, “and start living.”

“”One of the things we tell people is that when a recipe says to cook onion and garlic in oil, instead use a nonstick pan and a little water, then cover and cook them over low heat to get all the flavor out of them,” Reid said.

“Make your own vinaigrette, using a ratio of one part extra-virgin olive oil, one part “mellow” vinegar, such as balsamic, and one part citrus juice, Reid suggested.

“Roasted garlic adds terrific flavor to just about any dish, and can be used as a spread on bagels or toast. Trim the top off a head of garlic, add a little bit of water, wrap it in a piece of foil and cook for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. “That makes it really soft, and you can spread it like butter,” Reid said.

“Roast those vegetables. “A lot of people know they need to eat more vegetables,” Reid said. “If you roast them in a hot oven, you’re going to caramelize all the natural sugars in them, and they taste so much better.”

“Flavored extra-virgin olive oil and flavored vinegars, used in moderation, will add complexity to dishes. As Radecki suggested, “Balsamic vinegar is a really great flavor enhancer. I’ll grill a chicken breast on my Foreman grill. I have some really good balsamic I bought in Seattle, and I just dip my chicken in it.”

“Choose those condiments wisely, Reid said. “There are several condiments that are more flavor than they are fat: Mustard, hot sauce, salsa, horseradish, aged balsamic vinegar. You can add some of those higher flavored condiments to pan drippings to get different sauces so that you don’t have to add cream or butter.”

“Go ahead. Rub it in. “The rubs you can get are so much more healthy than the marinades that you soak your meat in,” Radecki said.

“Say goodbye to mild cheese. Cheese is fattening, and the low-fat and fat-free versions can be unappealing. The trick, Reid said, is to use less of a really strongly flavored cheese. Aged cheddar, parmesan, blue and gorgonzola all pack a flavor punch, so you often can get away with using less of it.

“Use spray bottles to add vinegar and oil to dishes, so you’ll use less of it. Or put soy sauce in a spray bottle and give some air-popped popcorn a light spritz. It’s a nice way to satisfy a salt craving.

“Try sun-dried tomatoes – either packed dry or drained of oil – in place of bacon in soups, stews and pizza, Reid suggested. It won’t taste the same, but the roasted flavor of the tomatoes will lend a hint of smokiness to a dish, without nearly the fat.

Need more inspiration? Here are a few good recipes to get going. Put that salad down and enjoy some real food."

Ingredients

• 1 (1 1/2 pounds) eggplant, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 ounces goat cheese (such as Montrachet), thinly sliced

Preparation

Step 1

Sprinkle the eggplant slices on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and place in a colander. Put a plate on top of the eggplant and weight it with a large can. Let the eggplant drain for 30 to 60 minutes. Quickly rinse the eggplant; pat dry with paper towels.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Spray a nonstick baking sheet and a 9-inch ceramic pie plate with nonstick spray. Place the eggplant slices on a baking sheet and sprinkle with pepper. Broil 5 inches from the heat until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the eggplant from broiler and set aside. Set the oven control to 450 and adjust racks to divide the oven in half.

Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet, then add the mushrooms. Sauté until wilted and almost dry. Add the tomatoes, capers, basil, oregano, thyme, garlic, the remaining salt and another grinding of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Layer half the eggplant slices in the pie plate, overlapping as necessary. Top with half of the tomato mixture, then all the remaining eggplant. Spoon the remaining tomato mixture over the eggplant. Arrange the goat cheese slices evenly on top. Bake until cheese has melted, about 10 minutes.

Remove the tart from the oven and set the oven control to broil. Broil the tart 5 inches from the heat until the cheese is golden brown, about 5 minutes.


Nutrition Information:
Per serving
153 calories
7 grams fat (3 grams saturated, 41 percent fat calories)
4 grams protein
18 grams carbohydrates
14 milligrams cholesterol
8 grams dietary fiber
920 milligrams sodium