Gym and Food

Went to the gym yesterday. It was weights day (boo!) and I really hate lifting weights. So I warmed up for 35 minutes on an elliptical then did my circuits of upper body weight machines. After I was done, I came home and prepared myself to cook this new recipe I found in The South Beach Diet Cookbook.


Before I start to type up the recipe, I just want you to know it is a tad bit bland. It's up to you whether you want to add to it or not.


Chicken and Eggplant Casserole

1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 12 slices
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 lb boneless chicken breast chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
3/4 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup shredded reduced fat mozzerella cheese

Preheat broiler.
Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on a nonstick baking sheet. Mist the slices with cooking spray. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 2 minutes, or until golden. Turn the eggplant over and mist again. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and garlic. Broil for 1 minute, or until golden. Set aside.
Heat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray over med-high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes (with juice), onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, Italian seasoning and black pepper, stirring to break up the tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375.
Coat an 8" baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange 6 eggplant slices in the bottom of the dish. Top with the chicken mixture. Arrange the remaining 6 eggplant slices over the chicken. Sprinkle with the mozerella cheese. Cover with foil and finish cooking, or refridgerate until the next day. Or wrap with foil, label, and freeze up to 3 weeks.
Bake, covered, for 30 minutes or until heated through. To cook frozen casserole, bake, covered, at 375 F for 50 minutes, or until heated through.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving:
205 cal
3g fat
1g sat fat
26g protein
19g carbs
6g dietary fiber
55mg cholesterol
395mg sodium