Easy Eggplant Parmesan Recipe & Orzo Veggie Medley Meal Prep
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Today I’m going to show you how to make healthy versions of comfort food such as chicken parmesan but with baked eggplant and orzo veggie medley. Start making baked eggplant parmesan by cutting the eggplant in half. Make deep diagonal cuts across the open face of the eggplant to create a diamond pattern. Spray them with olive oil, then sprinkle them with sea salt.
Roast the eggplant slices in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of panko crumbs to each half and bake in the oven for 6 to 8 more minutes. Remove from the oven and prepare the meat sauce from ground beef.
To make the marinara sauce, set a nonstick skillet on high heat. Chop and cook the meat in the skillet for 2 minutes. While the beef cooks, add in the Italian seasoning.
Add in the canned tomatoes and 1 cup of water. Cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt & black pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavors to meld.
When it’s finished, add meat sauce to the top of each eggplant half, then sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan on top. Bake for an additional 6 to 8 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the eggplant is to your desired softness. Your eggplant parmesan recipe is done. Enjoy!
To make Orzo Veggie Medley add chopped vegetables to a large bowl. Add olive oil and seasonings, sprinkle in dried thyme and mix veggies. Bake veggies for about 25 minutes.
Follow the instructions on the packaging and prepare Orzo.
Roasted veggies add to a bowl and toss in cooked orzo. Season to taste and garnish with some fresh herbs if desired.
This recipe is really simple and it is a very low calorie meal.
Loaded Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
Ingredients for 6 eggplant halves
- 3 eggplants, halved
- spray olive oil
- sea salt & pepper
- 12 tablespoons panko crumbs
- Marinara
- 1lb 95% lean ground beef (OR your choice of lean meat)
- 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 28oz can whole tomatoes in sauce
- 1 cup water (using the can)
- sea salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup low-moisture shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup grated/shredded parmesan
Steps
Step 1
Set oven to 420F.
Step 2
Slice the eggplant in half, then make deep diagonal cuts across the open face of the eggplant to create a diamond pattern. Spray the eggplant halves with olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt. Roast in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes. After that, add 2 tablespoons of panko crumbs to each eggplant half, then bake in the oven again for 6 to 8 minutes, then remove from the oven.
Step 3
As the eggplants bake, prepare the meat sauce. Set a nonstick skillet on high heat, and once hot, toss in the meat. Chop and cook in the skillet for 2 minutes, or until you have chopped up the large chunks. While the meat cooks, add in the Italian seasoning.
Step 4
Reduce the heat to medium, then add in the canned whole tomatoes and water. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt & pepper, then remove the skillet from the heat to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavors to meld.
Step 5
Add a few tablespoons of meat sauce to the top of each eggplant half, then equally divide/sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan on top.
Step 6
Bake for an additional 6 to 8 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the eggplant is to your desired softness.
Orzo Veggie Medley
Ingredients
Ingredients for 5 servings
- 1 cup cooked (wheat) orzo
- Substitute: brown rice; quinoa
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large zucchini, chopped into 1 1/2 chunks
- 1 yellow squash, chopped into 1 1/2 chunks
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 colorful bell pepper (I used half of one yellow and half of an orange)
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- pinch of sea salt & pepper
- fresh basil (optional)
Steps
Step 1
Set oven to 420F.
Step 2
Add chopped vegetables to a large bowl, then add olive oil, sea salt & pepper and thyme. Sprinkle in dried thyme and mix/toss veggies to coat.
Step 3
Add parchment paper to baking tray. Add the veggies on top, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes until crisp tender.
Step 4
Prepare orzo according to the instructions given on the package. Set aside.
Step 5
Add the roasted veggies to a bowl and allow them to cool slightly. Add in cooked orzo and fold everything together. Season to taste with sea salt & pepper and fresh basil if desired.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hey, I'm Kevin
My name is Kevin. My life changed when I realized that healthy living is a lifelong journey, mainly won by having a well-balanced diet and maintaining an active lifestyle.
By experimenting in the kitchen and sharing my meals on Tumblr, I learned healthy eating is not boring! By making a few adjustments to my favorite foods, I could design a diet that could help me achieve my wellness goals while satisfying my desire for BANGIN food! 😅 Now I try to help people around the world realize that same level of freedom in eating regardless of budget. Welcome, let's #DemocratizeWellness together!