Eggplant Parmesan w Fresh Marinara Recipe
Eggplant Parmesan with fresh Marinara Recipe
Your nugget of nutritional info for this post:
The peel of an eggplant contains: nasunin, a powerful antioxidant that protects your grey matter from free radicals. Rich in manganese, thiamin & folic acid, it's naturally low in calories and high in fiber, too, while its phytochemicals reduce the bad cholesterol LDL.
The Results!
The Ingredients:
Recipe in Rebus:
Cook Time (assumes red sauce is ready)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ready in: 50 min
Yields: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Panko, breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Italian Seasoning, breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup flour
- 1 good-sized eggplant, sliced
- 4-5 cups marinara
- ¼ cup 4 cheese, Italian & shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan, shredded
- 4 TBSP. olive oil
How to Do It:
- As you can see by the photo, I peel the eggplant into "stripes" because I find the peel is tough (even when cooked) and so this "striping" method is my compromise between health benefits and mouth feel. You can use the entire peel, or none at all--as you prefer.
- Anyway. Once that's done or undone, slice eggplant into 1" thick slices, give or take.
- Mix the breadcrumbs together. Assemble a mise en place as follows: dish of fork beaten egg, dish of flour, dish of mixed breadcrumbs, and empty plate on which to place breaded patties.
- Coat the sliced eggplant in flour right away, as like apples and taters, it wants to go brown. let the flour absorb for a few minutes.
- Dip flour coated patties first into egg, and then into breadcrumb mixture. Press the crumbs into eggplant flesh.
- Let the breaded patties sit for at least ten minutes to insure maximum adherence.
- Heat olive oil to medium--to med/high, and when sizzling, place patties into pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes each side. The patty should "give" under a finger press....
- While those are cooking, grab a 9x13 casserole dish, foil and spread a thin layer of sauce onto bottom.
- Place finished, breaded patties into casserole in an orderly fashion.
- Top with sauce. If fit of patties is tight, use a spoon (or clean hands) to work the sauce into crevasses as necessary.
- Mix 4 cheese with Parmesan, and sprinkle lightly onto assembled casserole.
- Cook at 425 F for 15 minutes.
- Let rest for several minutes, slice and serve! My Garlic Cheesy Toast recipe right here at CHARRONSCHATTER HUB pages is a great "soaker upper" for all that good & good-for-you sauce!
Cook for 15 minutes at 425 F, and presto! Parmesan!
