E is for Eggplant

This is a part of our month-long Eating the Alphabet Project! Click here to learn more about the book and project, and to see a list of all the recipes and activities.

Eggplant is usually not a favorite, as it can be spongy and soggy. A great way to bring eggplant to the table is using it to make kid-sized, individual pizzas, using slices as the crusts. The result is a delightfully gooey, saucy mea, that also is delicious the next day cold!

Do you have any fun and/or sneaky ways to prepare eggplant for kids?

Young Readers in the Kitchen

Kids can help "bread" the eggplant slices, dipping first in egg then a flour mixture. They can also top the prepared "crusts" with sauce and cheese. They might enjoy adding other toppings to their individual pizzas for a customized taste!

Eggplant Pizzas

adapted from The Artful Veggie's Egghead Pizza Patties recipe.

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (we used White Whole Wheat)
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
olive oil
pizza or spaghetti sauce
mozzarella cheese

Slice eggplant into rounds, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
Place eggs in a bowl and mix with a fork.
Place flour, italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese in a bowl and stir to combine.
Coat bottom of skillet with olive oil and place over medium heat.
Coat each slice of eggplant in egg, allowing excess to run off before coating in flour mixture. Place in heated skillet and cook each side until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes each side. Working in batches, repeat until all eggplant is cooked. Place cooked eggplant on large cookie sheets.
Top each slice with some pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Color Mixing: Purple

Drawing inspiration from the color of the eggplant, show your young reader a little color theory by mixing primary colors red and blue to make the majestic secondary color purple. Then stop back and see what wonders your young artist will create with the newly mixed purple paint.

Supplies

Red paint
Blue paint
Paint container
Paintbrush
Paper for painting

Place a dollop of red paint in a paint container. Add some blue and let young reader mix away to see purple magically appear.

Posted at 02:06 PM in Art Projects and Crafts, Recipes | Permalink | Comments (1)