Lemon-Glazed Eggplant (or Chicken) with Stevia and Dijon

Summer's finally here! What do you crave when it's hot? I crave sour foods, like lemon -- one of the few fruits allowed on the body ecology diet and therefore one I've been using with increasing frequency. Another thing I've started doing is eating more animal proteins. What does this mean for the vegetarian, you might ask. Is he relegated to eating tofu and/or side dishes? Not at all! The beauty of having cooked (mostly) vegetarian for the past two years is that, when making something like chicken, I prepare two pans, side by side, with the same seasonings -- one of chicken and one of (in this case) eggplant. That means I get two dishes with one dish's worth of preparation. And the added bonus? An extra side dish for the omnivore (since I've basically doubled my vegetable intake).

As a side note, eggplant is not strictly allowed on the body ecology diet so if you're in stage one and don't want to risk it, by all means make only the chicken version. And, obviously, if you're a vegetarian, make only the eggplant. Serve with Mung-Bean Sprout Stir-Fry. Bon appetit!

Lemon-Glazed Eggplant (or Chicken) with Stevia and Dijon
inspired by Healthy Eats

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 American eggplant, sliced, or 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 lemons (1/2 zested, 1 segmented and peeled, 1 juiced)
• 2 drops stevia extract
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
• 1 Spanish onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 375. Drizzle olive oil on a shallow roasting pan. Pepper eggplant slices (or chicken breasts). Set aside.

Zest 1/2 of 1 lemon. Segment and remove flesh from skin. Chop. Juice 2nd lemon. In a medium bowl, stir together zest, juice, stevia, mustard and thyme. Fold in lemon pieces, onion and garlic.

Spoon over eggplant (or chicken). Bake 30 minutes. Serve topped with parsley. Enjoy!

Edible Inspirations:

• Grapefruit-Glazed Chicken with Honey and Dijon from Robin's Healthy Take
• Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette from Deliciously Golden
• Miso-Glazed Bacon and Asparagus from The Bacon Show
• Stevia Banana Bread from One Weigh or Another