Maple Glazed Roasted Eggplant Salad

Eggplant is in season right now, and it's a delicious compliment to many dishes adding a fresh new flavor to your palette, plus, it's full of anti-cancer properties! 

This Salad is super easy to put together, and all you'll need is the ingredients and a skillet! 

Check out the recipe below.

Also, I have included some information about the health benefits of Eggplants! It's something everyone should add into their diet now that they are in season.

Health benefits of Eggplant:

1. Great Brain Food- 

Research on eggplant has focused on an anthocyanin phytonutrient found in eggplant skin called nasunin. Nasunin is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger that has been shown to protect cell membranes from damage. In animal studies, nasunin has been found to protect the lipids (fats) in brain cell membranes. Cell membranes are almost entirely composed of lipids and are responsible for protecting the cell from free radicals, letting nutrients in and wastes out, and receiving instructions from messenger molecules that tell the cell which activities it should perform.

2. Rich source of Antioxidants -

The good news concerning eggplant is that the predominant phenolic compound found in all varieties tested is chlorogenic acid, which is one of the most potent free radical scavengers found in plant tissues. Benefits attributed to chlorogenic acid include antimutagenic (anti-cancer), antimicrobial, anti-LDL (bad cholesterol) and antiviral activities.

3. Cardiovascular Health and Free-Radical Protection -

When laboratory animals with high cholesterol were given eggplant juice, their blood cholesterol, the cholesterol in their artery walls and the cholesterol in their aortas (the aorta is the artery that returns blood from the heart back into circulation into the body) was significantly reduced, while the walls of their blood vessels relaxed, improving blood flow. 

Nasunin is not only a potent free-radical scavenger, it is also a natural iron chelator. Although iron is an essential nutrient and is necessary for oxygen transport, normal immune function and collagen synthesis, too much iron is not a good thing. 

Excess iron increases free radical production and is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and cancer. Menstruating women, who lose iron every month in their menstrual flow, are unlikely to be at risk, but in postmenopausal women and men, iron, which is not easily excreted, can accumulate. 

By chelating iron, nasunin lessens free radical formation with numerous beneficial results, including protecting blood cholesterol (which is also a type of lipid or fat) from peroxidation; preventing cellular damage that can promote cancer; and lessening free radical damage in joints, which is a primary factor in rheumatoid arthritis.

Maple Glazed Roasted Eggplant Salad:

Prep Time: 3 Mins.

Total Time: 15 Mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

1 Eggplant (sliced)

4 Tbs. Olive Oil

4 Tbs. Maple Syrup

1 tsp. sea salt

1.5 tsp. Cinnamon

6 Leaves Red Leaf Lettuce

1 c. Organic Corn

Directions:

1. Heat skillet to medium high with 2 tbs Olive Oil, add sliced eggplant into

skillet (not overlapping each other, I was able to fit 3 slices in a small skillet at a time). Heat slices until a slight change of color occurs on both sides.

2. Pour about 2 tbs maple syrup over slices, and let slices saute in the skillet for about 30 seconds on each side - make sure to evenly coat each slice with the oil and maple syrup mixture in the bottom of the skillet.

3. Layer the Red Leaf Lettuce leaves on top of a large plate.

4. Place finished eggplant slices on top of leaves - and continue roasting the rest of the eggplant slices in the oil/maple syrup combination.

5. On my last set of slices - I poured in the corn and some more oil to cook the corn in the skillet. My secret flavor blast I added was some cinnamon and a bit of sea salt in with the corn and slices to cook together. Remove the remaining slices of Eggplant layer on top of lettuce. Garnish with Maple syrup and cinnamon.

6. Continue cooking corn until it's completely cooked - then layer corn around the eggplant slices.

 Serve Hot!

Now is a great time to try some delicious eggplant!

How do you like to eat eggplant?

~Peace and Love~

Reference: 

The World's Healthiest Foods