Eggplant is one of my favorite fruits. Yes, I said fruit! It's part of the nightshade family and closely related to tomatoes, sweet peppers and potatoes. The eggplant most familiar to us is plump and meaty with a dark purple skin. However, it comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors including white, green and even orange. Eggplant is low in calories, carbs and fat while high in folic acid and potassium. It can be found in dishes from all over the world including French ratatouille to the Middle Eastern baba ghanoush. I love to brush it with olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper and throw it on the grill. I also love it in a classic Chinese sweet and spicy sauce or sliced thin and fried in a skillet. But my favorite way to eat this fruit is in Eggplant Parmesan! The problem is that this classic Italian dish is always off limits when eating out. That's why I love this easy recipe. It maintains the great flavor while keeping it both gluten and dairy free!
Eggplant Parmesan
1 lb eggplant, prepared by cutting into 1/4 inch slices and seasoning with (below):
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c dairy free "parmesan"
1/3 c Seasoned Bread Crumbs or Gluten Free Seasoned Flour
2 Tbsp oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 jar commercial spaghetti sauce
8 oz dairy free "mozzarella" cheese
Instructions
Slice Eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds.
Mix garlic powder, salt, and pepper and sprinkle evenly over all sides of slices.
Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes, or until eggplant starts to weep
Very gently squeeze any remaining moisture from rounds with a paper towel.
Dip eggplant slices into egg mixture and allow to soak for a few minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine parmesan; bread crumbs or seasoned flour; oregano, salt and pepper.
Shake excess egg wash off of eggplant rounds and dip into cheese/bread crumb mixture, turning and pressing to coat well. Repeat if desired for a thicker coating.
To bake: Lay rounds onto a rimmed, greased cookie sheet and allow to sit for 10 minutes, to allow coating to set. Spray well with with cooking spray.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake breaded rounds at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
to Fry: heat 1/4 inch olive oil or other cooking oil in a heavy skillet. Fry rounds 3-4 at a time for 2 minutes per side or until golden and crisp.
Assemble casserole:
Place baked/fried rounds in a 2 quart casserole dish, slightly overlapping if necessary. Top rounds with a generous amount of spaghetti sauce. Evenly divide the mozzarella cheese between the patties.
Turn oven to 425 degrees. Place patties in oven and bake until cheese is melted, about 10-15 minutes. Serve with gluten free spaghetti.
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