Healthy Eggplant Parm

 Eggplant and I have had our run-ins in the past. Its taste, texture, the fact that it absorbs so much oil when you fry it...all these and more have contributed to my aversion to cooking it. Once, many years ago, I was served a sumptuous Eggplant Parmesan that rocked my preconceived notions about this vegetable. However, every recipe I have attempted has failed so miserably that for years I have been content not to butt heads with eggplant again. Until this week. We joined a CSA and our first weeks box contained not just one but two of my vegetable nemesis. Determined to succeed  at last I searched for recipes to make this eggplant a palatable success. Not finding a single one to my liking I decided to combine what I felt were the best elements of several and set out to conquer  the eggplant.   

Ingredients: 

1 egg
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
salt & pepper to taste
1 eggplant peeled & sliced into 1/2 inch slices

Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt over the eggplant and set in a colander to drain. Not much water comes out but it helps draw out the bitter flavor of the eggplant.

Set up a dredging station, I found bread-pans worked great for this. 

In the first pan whisk one egg with a tablespoon of water. In the second pan combine Breadcrumbs, Parmesan, herbs and salt and pepper.

Dip eggplant slices into egg mix then into breadcrumb mix and place on parchment coated pans. Sorry, no picture of this step, way to hard to use a camera when your hands are covered in egg and breadcrumbs!

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes then flip and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Top slices of eggplant with your favorite marinara sauce and a slice of Parmesan cheese. Here is a couple slices already to go in my lunch box. Yummy!

I had this for lunch everyday this week and it was delish! Finally a successful eggplant recipe.