These are a treat to have out of the oven as an hor d’oeuvre, or if you prefer and can resist eating them all, turn the salted wedges into a yummy dip in the Cuisinart and add a touch of feta and walnuts. Or just add more olive oil and garlic to the roasted wedges and you have something akin to a baba ghanouj without the tahini. Truly simple, truly satisfying. A bit like “home fries” but with more complexity, flavor, and texture. And all the nutritional benefits of having eaten real food.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS: One whole eggplant (weighing between 1 and 1 ½  pounds) with skin, has 18 grams of fiber, which is 75% of its carbohydrate content, leaving the net carb content at 13 grams for one entire eggplant. It also includes 6 grams of protein. According to SelfNutrition.com, eggplant get the highest number of stars (5) in the category of weight loss, even higher than that of kale, although kale has far more nutrients.

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice eggplant into 1 inch rounds, and slice all the rounds in half (making semi-circles). Brush all sides with olive oil–I use a silicon brush for this. Place cut side down on parchment paper and liberally salt and add a modest amount of pepper to each piece. Bake for about 30 minutes or until desired doneness–it may take a little longer. Do not turn. You want the cut side to brown nicely on the parchment. Add more salt if desired (taste one) and serve immediately.