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| Eggplant Parmesan |
When I started dating my very WASPy husband I knew he came from a different culture then I did... but I wasn’t totally unfamiliar with he and his friend’s preppy ways...I am from Connecticut.
But I really was taken back when we were invited to a picnic and I brought eggplant parmesan. Everyone was floored. “You made this... you didn’t buy it in a gourmet shop?”
Of course I made it... my family always makes eggplant parmesan for picnics. It can be served hot or cold...sit outside for hours and not spoil, and it makes great sandwiches or a nice side dish.
But this dish was truly exotic at this picnic of chips and dip, deli platters and of course... in the WASP tradition plenty of alcohol.
Even though I felt a little uncomfortable over the fuss that was made by me actually cooking for a picnic... the dish was really appreciated by everyone and it did break the ice for me...
Simple Eggplant Parmesan
by Diane Balch
Note: I used to spend an eternity frying each piece of eggplant. They alway soaked up too much oil, even when I soaked them in salt and water beforehand.
Baking the eggplant is faster and healthier because a little bit of olive oil is good but too much is high in calories.
Prep: 30 min Serves: 6
Ingredients:
spray olive oil
2 longish medium eggplants peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon or more of salt.
Pepper
approximately 3 cups of Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs (Aleia's gluten-free Italian Bread Crumbs)
8 oz of Shredded Mozzarella (reg or low-fat)
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese grated
11/2 jars of Marinara sauce
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees middle and lower middle racks.
2) Beat eggs with salt and pepper.
3) Generously spray 2 cookie sheets with olive oil
4) Peel and cut eggplant
5) Put a little at a time bread crumbs in a large dish
6) Dip eggplant pieces in egg... drip off excess. Then coat with bread crumb and put directly on to the cookie sheets.
7) When both of your sheets are full with eggplant bake for 15 minutes or until the underside of pieces are brown, then flip over and bake for 15 minutes on opposite side.
8) While eggplant is baking coat the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch lasagna pan with tomato sauce.
9) When eggplant is browned remove the sheets from the oven and turn up the temperature to 425 degrees.
10) Place the eggplant pieces closely together in the lasagna pan and then generously cover them with sauce. Repeat for the next layer. Top the eggplant with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
11) Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the cheese becomes golden brown.
12) Let sit 5 - 10 minutes before serving with rustic rolls and a green salad.
copyright 2012
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| peel |
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| chop 1/2 inch rounds |
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| egg then bread |
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| sauce bottom then lay out tightly |
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| bake until golden brown |
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