ArcaMax

Guest contributor for today's column and recipe, Chris, is married to Zola. They are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary this month.

“No one is born a great cook,” said Julia Child. “One learns by doing.”

One of the “secrets” of losing weight on Plan Z is that you cook your own food. That puts you in control of everything that goes into your mouth.

You may have said to yourself, “I don’t have time to cook.” The processed food companies are counting on that.

On the other hand, do you have time to spend in doctors’ waiting rooms? Because “the path to feeling good from day to day and staying clear of dialysis machines, heart stents and prescription pain pills runs through a place that’s long been a center point of human living—our own kitchens.” Melanie Warner wrote that in Pandora’s Lunchbox: How Processed Foods Took Over the American Meal...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

A nice, summery meal that can also be eaten in cooler months. You can make this in a grill pan or on an outdoor grill. This is much lighter and lower carb than the breaded and fried version.

Servings: Serves 4 as light meal or 2 as a large one.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick
3 – 4 ripe plum tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick
extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
sea salt to taste
1/3 cup chopped mushrooms (or olives- optional)
½ tsp of chile flakes (or to taste. I used a very light dusting and left it to the heat lovers to add more)
1/4 cup finely shredded basil
6 ounces Fontina cheese, grated
Thinly sliced crusty bread, for serving. Limit yourself to one regular sized piece or eat with no bread. To make the bread lower carb, brush it with olive oil and grill or broil. Or use butter. That works too.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and heat a grill pan or your backyard grill. Spray the eggplant and tomato slices with olive oil and season lightly with salt. Grill the eggplant over moderately high heat, turning once, until softened and lightly browned or lightly charred, about 4 minutes per side. Grill the tomatoes, turning once, until lightly charred but still intact, about two minutes per side. Keep an eye on them. They go from lightly browned to overdone very easily; especially on the grill.

In a bowl, combine the mushrooms (or olives), chile flakes and shredded basil. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In the center, arrange half of the eggplant in a nine-inch square, overlapping the slices slightly. Top with half of the grilled tomatoes, mushroom mixture and Fontina. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, ending with the cheese.

Bake in the center of the oven for about 15 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Let stand for 10 minutes. Slice with a pizza cutter. Garnish with basil shreds and serve with optional crusty bread.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola