The garden overfloweth, and the six eggplant factories in row two between the Brandeywines and the basil just keep pumping out purple/black shiny things. I marinate. I grill. I stir fry. But mostly, I make eggplant Parmesan, which is so much easier when you skip the salting-the-sliced-eggplant-then-rinsing-and-drying steps and also the dredging-in- flour-or-crumbs part.I omitted the flour/crumbs step because of my carb-avoidance behavior, but discovered that dipping the slices in a beaten egg and frying in olive oil is just as good, if not better, than the carb-dredging routine. Oh joy! I left out the salting part when I was in a big rush and discovered THAT doesn't matter either. So right there you lop off 15 or 20 minutes and all those evil carb calories.
My eggplant Parmesan recipe is simple:
2-4 eggplants depending on size
olive oil for frying
2 beaten eggs
grated Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, as much as you like
salt & pepper to taste
a quart or more of good marinara (I make my own. Another topic, another day. But here's part of what goes in it.)
Slice the eggplants about 1/2 inch thick. Dip slices in the beaten egg and fry on both sides til soft and golden. Don't throw away leftover egg; fry it and add to the casserole. Spoon a layer of sauce in a 13x9 inch pan. Layer the eggplant on the sauce, top with a mix of cheeses. Put the next layer of eggplant on the cheese, then top generously with sauce. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and top with cheese, mostly Parmesan, and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, til cheese is melted.
