Eggplant "Noodles"

Happy Wednesday!  

The Neon Morning Running Crew got together this morning for the first time in a LONG time.  With the temperatures finally (barely) above freezing, and the daylight sticking around, I was able to squeeze in a run this morning before work with some of my favorite two legged and four legged runners, Stacie, Vanessa, Pepper and Olive.  

We did a 3 mile out and back on some slick foggy roads, all wearing plenty of reflective gear and lights.  Today was a nice reminder of how much slower and heavier I feel in the mornings.  But I tried to remind myself  "The goal with these morning runs is to actually get out of bed and run.... it's not about time, it is just about doing it!"  It feels nice to have a workout  (especially a run) done BEFORE work.  Leaving me plenty of time for my BodyPump class later on today. 

 Oh, and a more relaxed dog at work! 

Last night I played around with another pasta "alternative"  I am always trying to reduce carbs, and include more veggies in my diet, and figured Eggplant "noodles"  were a good start.  I have tried zucchini noodles and enjoyed them,  I have tried spaghetti squash noodles and still can't figure out how I feel about them,  but I had a HUGE eggplant in the fridge (and no zucchini) that was begging to be transformed.   

Why not? 

I did a little research and found This recipe for turning eggplant into "noodles"

Peel an eggplant in thin slices using a mandolin,  

I used the mandolin to cut them into strips as well. 

Salt the eggplant to let it weep for 15 minutes. 

 Flip - Salt - Repeat.  

Wash off all the excess salt (DON'T FORGET THIS STEP)
and pat the noodles dry. 

I wanted to do a pasta  primavera with tons of veggies instead of a red sauce, so I prepped a bunch of veggies from my Shop Rite haul.  

I ended up using brussels, asparagus, mushrooms, 

tomato, onion, garlic, and chicken sausage.  

I added avocado at the end to give the dish some creamyness.

  I really didn't have sauce besides some olive oil and grated parmesan.  

Next time I may make an actual sauce with the avocado, lemon, and olive oil. 

After I sauteed all the veggies, I threw the eggplant noodles in the pan and cooked them until they softened, lost their firmness,  and started looking Noodley

 (new favorite word).  

I tossed everything together and hoped for the best.   

I was shocked at the texture and taste of the eggplants.  It actually tasted like a noodle, and had the texture of a thai noodle, or a rice noodle.  Not as firm as normal pasta but softer like a thai noodle.  A veggie noodle topped with veggies and chicken sausage.  Can't go wrong here. 

If you are looking for a great pasta alternative, this is it.  

And you KNOW it will be dynamite with a red sauce and some grated cheese.

That will be my next recipe- eggplant noodles with a red sauce.

If you do go to the red sauce route, find one low in sugar or make your own ;)