Eggplant Parmesan

This recipe is what comfort food is all about for me. I love it and it's always a big crowd pleaser at Christmas dinner.

My best eggplant making tip is to slice the pieces evenly, otherwise the thicker pieces end up being chewy and not cooked through all the way. I like mine to be no more than 1/2 inch thick.




Eggplant Parmesan

2 small eggplant
1 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 eggs
olive oil
2 jars of sauce (Or some of the yummy homemade stuff you made earlier)
8 oz shredded mozzarella and parmesan mix

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix bread crumbs and grated cheese together in a wide bowl. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl.
3. Dip the eggplant rounds first in the bread crumb and cheese mixture, then in the eggs, and finally back into the bread crumb/cheese mixture. The first extra dip allows for better breading coverage. If you need more bread crumb mixture just make sure to use the same ratio of cheese to bread crumbs.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in large frying pan.
5. Add eggplant making sure the rounds are flat against the pan. You'll probably have to cook them in shifts. Add extra oil as necessary, there should always be a thin layer coating the bottom of the pan. The rounds are done when they are golden brown on both sides.
6. When the rounds finish cooking put one layer in the bottom of a corningware. Then ladle sauce over it and sprinkle about 1/3 of the shredded cheese, depending on how much of a cheese lover you are. After that rinse and repeat (minus the rinsing) until all the eggplant is layered with the sauce and cheese.
7. Put the eggplant uncovered in the oven for about an hour. Cooking time will depend on how thick you cut it. I would start checking on it at around 45 minutes. You will know it's done when you can easily slice through the eggplant, skin and all.

A Change of Plans

I've been gearing up to do a spaghetti and meatballs post but I've been momentarily distracted by these english muffin pizzas that my significant vegetarian made for me over the weekend. They are a childhood recipe and I think they are genius.  They can serve as a great leftover makeover and a fun activity with kids!

English Muffin Pizzas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Take a whole wheat english muffin, split it in half and spread some of your favorite jarred spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle some italian seasoning , garlic powder, rosemary and a little salt and pepper to taste. ( You can do this anytime you need to use jarred sauce.  It is a great way to enjoy the convenience of a jar while having it still taste homemade.  I won't tell anyone it's jarred if you don't.)  Then layer mozzarella and cheddar cheese on top of the sauce.  After that, let  your conscience be your guide.  I'm originally from New York and I've seen everything from barbecue chicken to baked ziti on a pizza.  So go crazy with  your favorite pizza toppings or experiment with new ones.   You have nothing to lose, it's just a little english muffin.  If you are having an eaters block look in your fridge to see what you have leftover.  I made a sausage and peppers pizza with the leftovers from the below post and it was very tasty.  Its a great way to give your leftovers a little makeover.

Put the little pizzas in the oven, preferably on a baking stone if you have one, if not just put them directly on the rack to get a nice crispy crust.  It will take approximately 10-15 minutes to cook but check on them every 5 minutes or so, that way the crust is browned exactly to your liking.  With all things that are not an exact science like this I defer to my significant vegetarian's favorite saying, "Take it out when it looks like you want to eat it."

My significant vegetarian and I have also tried shrimp pizza and a veggie lovers pizza with peppers, onions, olives, mushrooms and pineapple. 

To make this with kids I would recommend putting bowls of all sorts of different toppings they can choose from.  It will be a fun craft project that your kids can eat when they are done!