Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan

Michael and I went grocery shopping the other day and decided we wanted to try something different.  We didn't have any recipe books with us, so to Google we went.  As we were grabbing some fresh vegetables, Michael was looking up eggplant recipes.  He found a great recipe for eggplant parmesann.  When we got home, at about 6:00 pm, I looked at the recipe and found out that it would only take about 3 hours to make.  Well, we really wanted to eat a little earlier than 9:00.  So, we looked at some other recipes and ended up just making up our own.

I have to warn you, Michael said that this was the best thing he had ever put in his mouth.  Needless to say, this made tons of food and we had very few leftovers.

Eggplant Parmesan

• 1 Large Eggplant (they say the small ones are less bitter, so maybe 2 small ones instead, but ours tasted just fine with one big one)
• 1 Tomato
• 2-3 Cups of Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs (we love the way homemade gluten-free breadcrumbs taste, but opted for an easier version by putting some gluten-free bagel chips in a food processor and chopping until fine)
• 2 Eggs (beaten)
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese (shredded would probably work also)
• 3 tablespoons of Minced Garlic
• Oregano and Basil to taste
• Gluten-Free Tomato Based Sauce (we used 1/2 a bottle of a gluten-free marinara sauce)

1.  First, you need to get the moisture out of the eggplant (eggplant acts like a sponge and will be pretty soggy if you skip this step, at least that is what I read).  So, the quickest method we could find was to cut your eggplant into 1/4 inch round slices, salt each side (we used sea salt), and place ontop of a few papertowels.  Let them sit for 20-30 minutes.  Gently press down to squeeze out any additional moisture.  Now rinse in cold water (to get off all the salt).  Now your eggplant is ready!
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Dip the eggplant in the eggs and then the breadcrumbs, place on a baking sheet (that has been sprayed with Pam).  Bake for 7 minutes on each side (they will get a little brown and feel nice and crunchy). When finished, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
3. While the eggplant are baking, you can prepare your sauce in a small bowl.  Use however much sauce you want (we used about 1/2 jar of the marinara).  Add minced garlic, oregano and basil. 
4. Now, layer your eggplant parmesan in an 8x8 glass dish.  First spread half of the sauce on the bottom, then one layer of eggplant, then tomato, then mozzarella cheese (our fresh mozzarella cheese came pre-sliced in about 1/4 inch slices, we just topped each piece of eggplant with one slice of mozzarella), then sprinkle on however much parmesan you want. Another layer of sauce, eggplant, (no tomato this time) mozzarella, and parmesan.  Really, you can put anything that you want into this.  I think some mushroom would be fantastic.
5. Now bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  This makes about 4 healthy servings and can be spread out more if you want to serve it over pasta (we just ate it plain).  

I promise, this is easy and Super yummy!  My husband, who does not like tomatos and was iffy about eggplant fell in LOVE!

I know, I need to work on my picture taking skills.  But it taste SO good, I Promise!

I apologize for my lack of recipe making skills with no measurements.  I grew up watching my mom throw stuff together and teaching me how to cook by adding a splash of milk here, some butter there, and lots of salt and pepper (sometimes, too much salt); then stick it in the oven at 350 (because everything cooks at 350) and go read a couple of chapters in your book and hope it doesn't burn.  Somehow, it would always turn out perfectly (even if it was a little salty).  Also, cheese or peanut better or chocolate makes everything better.

On a side note, I had my 17 week doctor's visit today.  Everything seems to be going well.  He said my baby is growing fast and is "big".  Hopefully, by big, he meant perfectly normal and will slip right out when the time comes.  I think that's what he meant.  I am growing as well (gained 5 pounds, wow).  I started out at 151, lost to 149, then gained to 150, 151, and now 156.  I like to think that I was just playing catch-up for that lost weight.  The doctor must have forgotten that he gave me permission to eat whatever my heart desired, because he didn't tell me to stop.  But, he didn't exactly praise me for my wonderful 5 pounds either (this might be the last time I talk about weight on the blog, this could get embarassing).  I scheduled my next ultrasound (that will determine the sex) for 4 weeks from yesterday.  We are going to wait until our reveal party to find out the sex for ourselves though.  I think it will be so special to include our family and close friends in on the moment.  I will have to make a blog post about gluten-free party ideas!