Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant parmesan never tasted so good as it did yesterday when I made it with this recipe. Yum!

Eggplant Parmesan
adapted from Martha Stewart

1 large egg
1 cup plain dry breadcrumbs (make your own by toasting stale homemade bread and then putting it in a food processor)
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons for topping
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 large eggplants (2 1/2 pounds total), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
4 cups tomato sauce
8 oz. thinly sliced or shredded fresh mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush 1 or 2 baking sheets with olive oil; set aside. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tablespoons water. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, and basil; season with salt and pepper.

Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating well; place on baking sheets. Bake until golden brown on bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn slices; continue baking until browned on other side, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove from oven; raise oven heat to 400 degrees.

Spread 1 cup sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Depending on how much eggplant you have, arrange the eggplant all in the bottom of the dish OR only use half the eggplant. Cover the eggplant layer with sauce and mozzarella. If using two layers of eggplant, place the other layer of eggplant on top, and top with more sauce and mozzarella. Sprinkle the top with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Curry Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Soup

I saw eggplants at the farmer's market and thought I should be dutiful and buy one. Eggplants, like beets, are not something I grew up eating, but I'm convinced I can learn to like them. This soup was quite delicious, but the eggplant flavor was almost undectectable. So this may not have helped me learn to like eggplant, but three cheers for anything flavored with curry!

See this salad for another adventure with eggplant.

Curry Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Soup
adapted from Pinch of Yum

2 small/medium eggplant (or 1 large)
1 red bell pepper
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons tahini or natural peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon curry
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
optional: 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, cayenne for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 450. Chop red peppers and eggplant into 1-inch pieces. Cover a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with nonstick spray. Put vegetables on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 25-30 minutes.

In a large saucepan, saute onion with oil until translucent. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add 2 c. broth, tahini, and spices. Add roasted vegetables. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer to a blender (or use an immersion blender right in the saucepan). Puree until soup reaches desired consistency. Add more broth if needed to thin out soup. Stir in lemon juice. Sprinkle with cayenne and serve with warm bread.