Do you take photos often? I am not talking about waking up at 3:00 am and setting up a fancy DSLR with a massive lens on a tripod in order to catch the perfect sunrise type of thing. I am talking about a simple action that you can take any time every day – frame a moment that you enjoy into a square and press the shutter button on your phone or your point and shoot.

Yes, you do?! High Five! The same here! (Well, I guess that’s not something really necessary to point out here. It’s pretty obvious. :P)

No, you don’t?! Totally cool! I know a handful of people don’t like taking photos either and they do have good reasons. Han is one of them. His reason is that he would rather spend the time to enjoy himself at good times than be busy in pressing buttons on his phone and let the precious moments slip away. You know good times always feel short. Fine. Fair enough!

But I say, I can enjoy myself at the time being and take photos at the same time for myself, for memories, for later, because even though you are given the opportunity to go back to the same spot with the same people as company, chances are those moments are never going to be the same. That’s my reason for taking photos.

Making this Eggplant Casserole is one good moment of many more that worth taking a few shots. I enjoyed placing every single one slice of the eggplant into my baking bowl, smelling it, garnishing it and eating it with my love. Preparing a lunch box with it for a homie of ours absolutely added extra joy. I know for fact that in the future, that particular photo on Instagram is going to drag me back to the moment that I received the homie’s text: “The lunch box is amazing!!! Thank you! Marry me!” Just fyi, the homie is a very attractive woman. No homo!

On top of everything, the photos you are looking at right now on this site are taken for creating awesome cooking moments together, you and me! Let’s have it! For today…

This Eggplant Casserole doesn’t require loads of ingredients such as breadcrumbs, butter or all-purpose flour like a good Eggplant Parmesan does. It doesn’t require some preparation time before you set it in the oven. It’s simple, healthy and so practical. What does it taste like? Refreshing! Not too light but not too heavy as well. It has just enough flavor that you can enjoy it alone. It’s also rich enough to toss with some quinoa and become a meal with very healthy carbs! Give it a try and I hope you like it! 🙂

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Eggplant Casserole

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  • Author: DelishPlan
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Vegetables
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Description

Cheesy, refreshing, light and flavorful baked eggplant in a basil tomato sauce. Make it extra healthy by tossing it with quinoa. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
  • 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 Chinese eggplants (about 1 lbs)

Instructions

  1. For the sauce, except for eggplants and Mozzarella cheese, mix the rest of the ingredients and seasonings in a large bowl. Add more sea salt, ground black pepper or sugar if necessary. (As for basil, I can image that 1 tablespoon of dried basil to work totally fine for the sauce instead of fresh basil.)
  2. Cut the eggplants into slices, about 1/8 inch thick per slice.
  3. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
  4. Now the fun part starts… Use a spoon to set one thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of a medium baking bowl (mine is 8×8 inch).
  5. Lay eggplant slices flat on top of the first layer of sauce.
  6. Spread another layer of sauce on the eggplants. Make sure the eggplant slices are all covered by the sauce.
  7. Sprinkle one layer of Mozzarella cheese.
  8. Repeat step 5-7 until all the eggplant slices are nicely set into your baking bowl. Evenly spread the rest of the sauce and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. (It’s like building a wall!)
  9. Place the baking bowl at lower rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 40 minutes.
  10. After done, let the Eggplant Casserole sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2-4

About the Author

Sharon Chen, StreetSmart Kitchen
Sharon Chen

Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, an author and a sous vide fanatic who believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she's on a mission to help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.