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Healthy Authentic Italian Eggplant Parmigiana (super easy!)

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The end of summer always is a bit emotional, especially when you realize that you are not in Italy anymore and cannot have pasta & parmigiana with a view of the ocean anymore. Bringing the view home is a bit tricky but what we can do is bringing the food home in order to hold on onto the holidays for as long as possible. 

And trust me, this dish is at least as good as in Italy. Soft eggplant with creamy tomato sauce and lots of goey molten cheese. If there is something like (healthy) comfort heaven – it is this recipe!! Perfect for cozy fall evenings when you just want something to comfort you but also perfect as a side when you have got some friends over for lunch! Plus: you can easily prepare it and then only place it in the oven and voilà!

What is Parmigiana?

Parmigiana (alla melanzane) is a very typical Italian dish that originated in the South of Italy (there are several regions claiming to have invented it). Typically it is made with fried slices of eggplant layered with tomato sauce and cheese and then baked in the oven. In Italy you can find it on most menus as a Primi Piatto (first course) or as a contorno (side dish).

What is special about this dish?

This recipe version of it is an easier and a bit healthier one than the original. The main difference is that we do not deep fry the eggplant before layering but only roast them a little in a pan. This does not only make it healthier (because way less fat is used) but it also makes the preparation of this dish much easier and simpler. 

Is this dish healthy?

It definitely can be said that this is a dish providing many nutrients. Both, the tomato sauce and the eggplant are sources of fibre, vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals. The olive oil accounts for a decent dose of healthy fats. The mozzarella and parmesan provide a healthy dose of protein. This though comes with a dose of saturated fats too – which is not the healthiest – but you know what? A little cheese never hurt nobody! 

look at that crisp ?

Perfect side or comfort food!

As previously mentioned, in Italy you can mostly find this dish as an Appetizer and sometimes as a side. Making this as an appetizer is a great idea because you can prepare and layer everything (except for the final cheese layer) and set it aside. Before your guests are coming, you can just sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan and bake it. Just make sure not to make too much because it is quite filling. In summer we also love making it as a side dish for pur barbecues because it is a great way to have some veggies and also is it a vegetarian choice for all those who do not want to have any meat. 

Finally, which is our preferred way of having it, you can make it as a main dish. Basically like lasagna, just without pasta sheets and a bit different. Place the skillet on the table and let everyone dig into this goodness. It won’t take long until everything is gone! 

Easy as pie

Making this is super easy. All that needs to be done comes down to very few and easy steps. First you need to slice the eggplant into about 0,5-1cm thick slices before frying them in a little olive oil for 2-3 minutes per side. In the meantime you can already make the tomato sauce for which you just need to sauté some finely chopped onions and garlic in hot oil before adding canned, crushed tomatoes. To make it even easier: use a store bought tomato sauce and skip this step!

The last thing you need to prepare is the cheese: grate the parmesan and roughly chop the mozzarella! That already is it with the preparations and now comes the fun part. Start by adding a layer of eggplant slices into a pan or another oven safe dish. On top goes some tomato sauce, a little mozzarella and a little parmesan. Then repeat it (about 1-2x approximately) until you have used everything up. Now into the oven it goes, for about 25-30 minutes and voilà! 


Anyone who likes eggplants and Italian flavours should try this. Like lasagna, just a little bit healthier and vegetarian. A staple in our house and it is soo good!!
If you try it I would love to know how you like it! 

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Healthy Authentic Italian Eggplant Parmigiana (super easy!)

A classic Italian dish made in a way that is a bit healthier than the regular one – yet, at least as delicious! Easy, healthy and tasty and soso comforting!

Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 20 Minuten
Cook Time 40 Minuten
Resting time 30 Minuten
Total Time 1 Stunde 30 Minuten
Servings 4 servings

What you will need

  • 2 eggplants
  • 500 ml canned tomatoes
  • 1 red onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Italian herbs
  • olive oil
  • 250 g mozzarella cheese
  • 75 g parmesan cheese

How to

  1. Remove the both ends of the eggplant, then slice them into about 0,5-1cm thick slices lengthwise. Place them on a baking tray and sprinkle with salt. Let them sit for about 30 minutes. This will help remove the water from the eggplants. Then take a paper towel, remove the water that has run out and pat them dry.

  2. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

  3. In the meantime peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, either by hand or in a food processor. In a pan heat up some olive oil and fry the onion and garlic in there for about a minute. Add the canned, crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper and Italian herbs and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

  4. While the sauce is simmering the cheese can be prepared. Grate the parmesan cheese and roughly chop the Mozzarella.

  5. Heat up about 2 more tbsp of olive oil in a pan and fry the eggplants for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Take out and set aside.

  6. Take an oven safe dish and place one layer of the fried eggplant at the bottom. Cover with tomato sauce, half of each, the parmesan and the mozzarella cheese on top, then repeat. At the end, it should all be covered with parmesan cheese.

  7. Now, place in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and crispy on the top.

    Enjoy!

Have fun cooking
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Easy Peasy Summer Panzanella (perfect for leftovers!)

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These days I feel like an ice cream in the sun – just melting away in very little time. And let‘s be honest, who wants to cook and eat something warm when it‘s this hot? I at least, definitely do not want to. And salads are great, yeah, but after a few days I feel like a rabbit when I only eat salads, so we need to switch things up a little. That‘s where Panzanella needs to be introduced. A salad made out of bread, tomatoes and bell pepper, just without salad. And holy moly, when you make this, your salad level will be elevated to the next level.

This is really insanely easy to make, and ideal if you want to use up any leftover (maybe already stale) bread. It only takes a few minutes to make and a few to chill and that‘s it. Plus, (big plus) your kitchen is no mess after making this because it takes very few ingredients to end up with this deliciousness!

What even is panzanella?

Panzanella is an italian bread salad, that traditionally is made from stale bread, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, bell pepper and olive oil. It is like a greek salad, just with bread instead of feta cheese. Although adding feta cheese would probably also be a genius idea! 

What is special about this dish? 

It is like a regular panzanella, just with a little twist. We here are also adding in some chanterelle mushrooms to add a nice twist. And they taste soso tasty in combination with the remaining ingredients. Besides, this dish is really easy to make. It really takes only 15 minutes to make it and therefore is perfect for those hot summer days. And, it is packed with many, many veggies and can be enjoyed cold. All in all, really, really good.

Is this healthy?

We need to be honest and say that it definitely is not as nutritious as regular salad it. Nevertheless, depending on how you prepare it, it can be very nutritious. 

It already starts with the base. Traditionally you would use some white bread or focaccia, which also is what we are using here. In my opinion focaccia works best. If you though want to make it a bit healthier, you could substitute this for some wholegrain or at least partially-wholegrain bread. This will provide even more fibre and will be better for you blood sugar levels. Still, I need to say that it does taste better with white bread.

Then we have all the veggies, which are a pack of nutrients. The cucumber is full of water and fibre, the bell pepper with vitamin C and the tomatoes with antioxidants and different Vitamins. The chanterelle mushrooms help your cells and your immune system in order for you to stay fit and healthy. So, you can really never go wrong with veggies. In the dressing are some more healthy fats from the olive oil to round it up perfectly.

How to make this dish?

As mentioned before, this comes together really quickly!! First we need to cube the bread. The cubes should be about 2 cm on each side, making them a perfect bite-sized pieces. These are now fried in some oil or margarine to make them a bit crispy and golden brown on each side. Once they are crispy, we are taking them out and adding them to a bowl. Now we can add in the chanterelle mushrooms to the same pan (to save dishes ;)) and fry those for about 5 minutes until they are soft and cooked through. 

In the meantime we just need to chop the veggies: the flesh from the cucumber needs to be removed and then everything needs to be sliced up. Now everything just needs to be tossed with a mix of olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and honey and that is it for the work.

I would though still recommend to let it sit for at least 15 minutes. This lets the bread soak up all the flavors and get a bit soft. Just like the traditional panzanella salad. The longer you let it sit the softer and more intense it gets. As a maximum I would take 45 minutes – 1 hour.

Serving suggestions:

This really tastes super tasty as is, anyhow you can still upgrade it. For example some fresh mozzarella or burrata would be amazing. Or also, some fresh feta cheese would take it next level. If you want a slight fruity twist, you could even add some berries. As for more veggies, I could recommend some corn or avocado (both not traditional but very good).

All in all, it is super easy to make and tastes super duper fresh and yummy. Honestly, one of my favorite summer dishes and a must make! 

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Easy Peasy Summer Panzanella (perfect for leftovers!)

Salads are great yeah, but bread salads… oh damn – these are another level of great! Filling, healthy and SO damn much flavour – just super super good! And this recipe also is SO easy to make, simply a must make!

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Optional: resting time 20 Minuten
Total Time 20 Minuten
Servings 2 servings

What you will need

  • 300 g bread something fluffier like foccacia, (whole wheat) baguette, or similar – it does not have to be fresh
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cucumber
  • 250 g cherry tomatoes
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 250 g chanterelle mushrooms (optional)

For the dressing:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp mediterranean herbs
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • fresh salt & black pepper
  • 1 tsp honey

How to

  1. Start by chopping the bread into about 2cm sized pieces. Mix with the olive oil and some salt. Add to a hot pan, and fry for about 3 minutes on each side ontil golden brown and toasted.

  2. In the meantime peel the cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, remove the flesh and cut into 0.5cm thin slices. Half the cherry tomatoes and dice the bell pepper.

  3. Clean the mushrooms, if they are large also half them, and fry them in some olive oil.

  4. Add everything to a bowl, combine the ingredients for the dressing and toss everything together.

  5. Divide onto bowls and serve with some fresh basil. Serve and enjoy!

I really hope you‘ll enjoy this recipe and will make it on repeat! 

Enjoy,
Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière 

The Best Ever 15 Minute Veggie & Tofu Peanut Noodle Stir-Fry

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This sounds very complicated, I know, but indeed it actually is super super easy. And don‘t be fooled, easy does not mean boring. Because this is everything else than boring. We have got crispy, stir-fried veggies and tofu combined with saucy, peanuty noodles and topped with a decent amount of fresh herbs. The combo? Insane! The time needed? Insanely little! 

When I asked you all on instagram which dishes you would like to see more of, there were soso many that said „quick meals“. And really, I get you! Some days we just cannot stand spending large amounts of time in the kitchen preparing dinner and still want to have something healthy. And this can be a challenge. So recipes like these are perfect for when you want something quick and yet healthy and delicious! 

What is special about this dish? 

Well, it is super super quick. All we need to do is fry the veggies and tofu, cook the noodles and combine everything with the sauce! It comes together in something like 10-15 minutes, really! 

And then also, it is not very traditional. You could say it is pad-thai inspired, just way simpler, with fewer ingredients and a bit healthy. Maybe something like a mix between a pad-thai and a wok. So basically, with this we are inventing an easy and healthy dish.

Is this dish healthy? 

Yup Yup, it is. How come so? It is packed with all the nutrients we need to stay happy, healthy and full. The large amount if different veggies that we are using add a whole bunch of fibre and vitamins to the dish. The fibre helps our digestion and the vitamins our immune system and organs. Then we also have the tofu, which is another great source of fibre and also of protein, to help us strengthen and repair muscles.

Now what’s left are the noodles and the sauce. So as for the noodles, they are our source of carbohydrates, which we need for our energy. And the sauce, which is made up from peanut butter, honey (or maple), soy sauce, sesame oil and lime juice, is a great way to sneak in some healthy fats and more protein (from the nuts and oil). Yes, the soy sauce makes it contain a lot of salt too, so if you want less of that, you could just go for sodium-reduced soy sauce. 

How to make this dish? 

As the name implicates, this is easy peasy. So, what we need to do is chop the veggies, here you can really use whatever you want. I personally love asparagus, edamame (you don‘t have to chop this), bell peppers, spring onions, or broccoli and carrot, but really, just use whatever’s left in your fridge. That‘s what makes this so easy and versatile.

Then we also need to finely chop some ginger and cube some tofu and them throw everything into a pan with hot oil. This then is stir fried for 2-3 minutes until crispy. Then we turn it down to medium heat and cook the noodles. Depending on what you package instructions say, the cooking time may vary, but should probably be around 5 minutes. While they are cooking, we can mix everything for the peanut sauce. Then, once drained, we add the noodles to the pan, take it off the heat and mix it all with the sauce. Voilà, that‘s it! Now we just need to garnish it with the mint and cilantro and a lime wedge and our meal is finished!!

Perfect for meal prep! 

How come? Shouldn’t it be served warm? Definitely! Surprisingly though, it also tastes incredibly delicious when being served cold! The sauce gives it kind of a salad-vibe, so it tastes at least as tasty when it is cold. You could just add it to a tupperware and enjoy it cold. 

Honestly, this is one of my favorite quick and lazy meals! Perfect for busy work days or evenings when you are just tired and don’t feel like cooking! It is just perfect! 

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The Best Ever 15 Minute Veggie & Tofu Peanut Noodle Stir-Fry

Easy, delicious and healthy. These stir-fry noodles not only are easy to make but also taste so incredibly delicious and addicting. Soft noodles tossed in a tangy and salty sauce along with fresh veggies and perfect tofu. Really, there is no reason you would not want to have this.

Course Main Course, mealprep
Cuisine asian
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 15 Minuten
Servings 4 servings

What you will need

  • 400 g glas noodles (rice noodles)
  • 400 g firm tofu
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 2cm piece of ginger
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 200 g edamame beans
  • 200 g mushrooms
  • 2 bok choy
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 bell pepper

For the sauce:

  • 3 tbsp peanut butter
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp honey/ maple
  • fresh cilantro & lime for serving

How to

  1. Cut the tofu into 1cm sized chunks. Peel and finely mince the ginger. Heat up the oil and fry the ginger for 1 minute before adding the tofu and frying this for 2-3 Minutes on each side until crispy. Then add 2 tbsp of soy sauce.

  2. In the meantime prepare the noodles according to package instructions and undercook them for a minute. Peal (if necessary) and cut all veggies into bite-sized pieces and add to the tofu. turn onto medium heat.

  3. In the meantime combine everything for the sauce.

  4. Once the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the veggies along with the peanut sauce. Give it a good mix and serve with fresh cilantro & lime wedges!

  5. Enjoy!

I genuinely hope that you‘ll enjoy this and make it on repeat! 
Love,
Katie// Une Petite Cuisinière 

Better than Store-Bought, 10 Minute Homemade Basil Pesto

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There only is one green sauce that actually everyone likes – pesto. Contrary to all other green sauces, pesto somehow manages to convince, despite its very healthy looking color. And if you buy it at the store, it’s so easy, right? It is. But let me tell you, once you have made your homemade one, you‘ll never go back to store bought. This salty goodness just won‘t compete with the one from the store. Plus, it really just takes 10 minutes to make.

What’s special about this dish? 

To be honest, this is not too fancy or has a special twist. This is one of the few classic recipes. Because really, pesto is so heavenly as is. Actually making pesto yourself already is kinda really special. 

Traditional pesto

What even is pesto? What is it made of? And what differentiates traditional pesto from most store bought ones. So, pesto is a green sauce from Liguria, Italy. It is eaten with pasta, burrata, as a topping or a dip. It is made of fresh basil, grated parmesan, garlic, pine nuts, salt and olive oil. For a really good pesto, it is essential to use high quality ingredients, especially a good olive oil and some good parmesan cheese. And that already is the difference to most store bought ones. In order to make them cheaper, the quality is compromised. Often, there is water added to it or olive oil is partially substituted with some cheeper oil. This way it does not taste as intense and as good.

Also, when it comes to making pesto, it is really important which ingredients you blend, any which you stir in by hand. The basil, garlic and pine nuts need to be blended. The parmesan needs to be grated and then stirred in by hand along with the olive oil. You must not blend the parmesan and olive oil!!!!!! This needs to be stirred in by hand.

The only store bought pesto I buy is either the one from our local delicatessen store or the one from pastafani. They both have the right texture and high quality and taste like real, authentic pesto. So I can highly recommend this.

Is this dish healthy? 

Definitely healthy-ish. It is packed with lots and lots of healthy fats and vitamins. The basil accounts for a bunch of fibre and different vitamins. The nuts on the other hand are a great source of protein and also unsaturated fats. The olive oil, if high quality, also is an excellent source of omega-3 and other unsaturated fats. The parmesan cheese is packed with a bunch of protein but also saturated fat. So overall, a quite balanced meal. 

How to make this dish?

As the title says, this really takes 10 minutes only. All we need to do is blend the basil with the garlic cloves, roasted pine nuts and a pinch of salt. This should be blended really finely and make a thick paste. Then we need to grate the parmesan cheese and stir in a little parmesan cheese and a little oil a bit at a time until we get a creamy consistency. And yup, that already is it.

When and how to best have it and meal prep friendly? 

Pesto definitely is one of the most meal-prep friendly dishes. When you make it and have something left, you can just store it in a jar and cover it with oil. It‘ll last up to 2 weeks, if covered completely with oil, because then it is not in contact with fresh air. 

In terms of what to vest have it with, I‘d definitely say pasta!! Either Trofie (that‘s what you would typically get with pesto in Italy) or definitely on top of burrata or mozzarella, on top of salads, or, one of the best combos, which I have recently discovered is Pesto and Hummus. A MUST try! On bread, rice crackers or whatever – it is life changing.

Homemade Pesto is a must try and a real game changer. It is SO easy and honestly one of the most delicious things you could make. I know I have told you a bunch of times here, but there is no way you dl not try this! 

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Better than Store-Bought, 10 Minute Homemade Basil Pesto

There only is one green sauce that actually everyone likes – pesto.  It is SO easy and honestly one of the most delicious things you could make. Ready in 10 minutes (and gone in 5 probs)

Course basics, dinner, lunch
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 10 Minuten
Servings 4 servings

What you will need

  • 50 g basil
  • 30 g pine nuts
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 100 g parmesan cheese
  • 125 ml olive oil

How to

  1. Roast the pine nuts in a nonstick pan on high heat until golden. Add to a food processor along with the basil, the garlic and some salt. Blend until having reached a creamy paste.

  2. Finely grate the parmesan cheese.

  3. Add the basil mix to a bowl and about 2 tbsp at a time, add in the cheese and the olive oil. Then repeat until having nothing left.

  4. Serve with pasta, bread, salads, or just enjoy as is!

I am wishing you a whole bunch of fun and deliciousness when cooking! 
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière