Spiced Eggplant Steaks

This Middle Eastern-inspired roast eggplant dish comes from the “The Noom Kitchen,” a new cookbook from Noom that features nutrient-dense, calorically mindful recipes.

Noom is a digital healthcare company that’s become well-known for its healthy eating app, virtual health coaching services, and a diabetes prevention program that utilizes elements of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) – a type of talk therapy focused on adjusting thoughts and behaviors – to encourage participants to break old habits and replace them with newer, healthier ones.

Research has shown that participation in such programs creates healthier outcomes for people diagnosed with prediabetes or looking to lose weight and keep it off; one study showed such a program delays the onset of type 2 diabetes over a three-year period by 58% compared with doing nothing.

Now the health platform has released its first-ever cookbook, “The Noom Kitchen,” to support its nutritional guidance. The 100 recipes in the book were developed by Adeena Sussman, a prolific food writer and longtime collaborator of cookbook author Chrissy Teigen.

Spiced Eggplant Steaks With Cucumber Relish and Tahini Sauce

Sussman, who is the author of multiple New York Times bestselling cookbooks, is based in Tel Aviv, and took inspiration from her surroundings in developing recipes such as this roasted eggplant recipe that’s served alongside a fresh vegetable salsa and punchy tahini sauce.

“This recipe is a celebration of plant-forward Middle Eastern flavors and one that uses spices and healthy fats to deliver maximum flavor. The crunch of the cucumber, the fragrant herbs, and the hint of spice all add delicious impact,” she said.

In particular, Sussman loves serving this recipe as a light midday meal: “I would suggest serving it with a nice piece of grilled chicken or fish or a warm bowl of soup,” she said.

Regardless of when you choose to serve it, this eggplant entrée is friendly to anyone mindful of MyPlate guidelines.

“This beautiful and mouth-watering eggplant steak recipe makes fresh and cooked non-starchy vegetables the stars of the dish, not only providing a feast for the eyes and palate but also packing a nutritional punch, making it ideal for any person who is managing their blood glucose levels or who lives with a diabetes diagnosis, yet wants a flavorful, filling, whole food, fiber-rich, lower-fat, and lower-carbohydrate dish,” registered dietitian Jenniffer Hubbard said.

“Fill up half of your plate with one eggplant steak serving, one quarter with a lean source of protein, and the other quarter with whole fiber-rich sources of carbohydrates, and you have a balanced meal that meets the Diabetes Plate Method guidelines while helping you stay within your carbohydrate budget and manage your blood sugar levels,” Hubbard, who is one of the coaches for Noom’s Diabetes Prevention Program, suggested.

“Eggplant, cucumbers, and onions are lower carbohydrate non-starchy vegetables that have a smaller impact on blood sugar levels and are full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and water,” she said, adding: “Each serving will help you work toward achieving the recommended three to five servings of vegetables a day.”

Recipe Details: Spiced Eggplant Steaks

Adapted from "The Noom Kitchen" by Noom

Total time: 1 hour

Makes: 4 servings

Total carbohydrates: 27.5 grams per serving

Recipe Notes

The Noom system features a color code for each food (green, yellow, or orange) based on caloric density (low, moderate, and calorie dense, respectively). This plant-based recipe is color-coded green. 

Recipe developer Adeena Sussman points out that this recipe can be simplified even further with a couple of substitutions if necessary. For instance, if you don’t have lemon juice on hand, lime juice would also work well. If you’re short on either mint or parsley, that’s fine, too: “Omit one of the herbs and double the other,” she suggests.

Ingredients

For the eggplant

• 2 medium eggplants, trimmed and halved lengthwise

• 4 teaspoons olive oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

• Pinch of cayenne (optional)

For the relish

• 5 Persian cucumbers, trimmed and diced

• 1/4 cup sliced onion

• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the tahini sauce

• 3 tablespoons tahini

• 3 tablespoons water

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemom zest

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Bake the eggplant: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2. Use a sharp knife to lightly score the cut sides of the eggplant halves in a crosshatch pattern, then brush each on the cut side with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Arrange the eggplant halves, cut sides down, on the baking sheet and bake until the eggplant has softened in spots but is firm in others, about 25 minutes.

4. While the eggplant is baking, combine the remaining 3 teaspoons olive oil with the turmeric, cumin, paprika, and cayenne, if using, in a small bowl. Flip the eggplant halves, then brush the cut sides with the spiced oil and return to the oven and continue to bake until the tops are deeply golden and the eggplant is tender, 15 to 20 minutes more.

5. Make the relish: While the eggplant is roasting, combine the cucumbers, onion, mint, parsley, lemon juice and zest, and salt in a bowl. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

6. Make the tahini sauce: Whisk the tahini, water, lemon juice and zest, and salt in a small bowl.

7. Serve the eggplant: Arrange each baked egpglant half on an individual plate, then top each with about 3/4 cup of the relish. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of the tahini sauce, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the pomegranate seeds, and season to taste with more salt and pepper.

Nutritional information per serving (1 serving = 1 eggplant half, 3/4 cup relish, 2 tablespoons tahini sauce, and 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds): 214 calories, 11.7 g total fat, 1.6 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 500.2 mg sodium, 2.75 g total carbohydrates, 10.9 g dietary fiber, 11.7 g sugars, 0 g added sugars, 5.9 g protein.

Excerpted from The Noom Kitchen. Copyright © 2024, Noom, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

About the authors

Susannah Chen

Prior to joining The diaTribe Foundation as a managing editor, Susannah Chen was a freelance writer and editorial content strategist focused on food, drink, and travel. A health journey involving... Read the full bio »