Embrace eggplant

With its rich purple skin and sensual curves, eggplant, or aubergine, is one of nature’s most beautiful foods. But mishandling this tender vegetable can produce chewy results or a bitter flavor. Whether you go for something simple like lightly salted, broiled eggplant, or dress it up with a leaner version of a traditional Eggplant Parmesan, today, challenge yourself to incorporate a succulent eggplant into your meal. Some tips:

• Replace the cream and flour in the Bechamel sauce with skim milk and cornstarch (for thickening).

• Use low-fat Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, and instead of layering, use only as a topping.

• Whatever your recipe, salt and let eggplant sit for at least an hour prior to cooking; this sweetens the flavor and alleviates bitterness.