Warm and Cheesy

Eggplant Parmesan

Intriguing title...I know.  So...I was craving something warm, cheesy and filling.  Et voila.  Eggplant parm.  Something I had been meaning to try.  Without further ado:

Ingredients

2 aubergines (eggplants)

1 can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce

1-2 eggs

1/4 cup flour

Mozzarella cheese

Parmesan 

Spices (salt, pepper, herbes de provence, basil, garlic)

1.  So, I decided to spruce up the canned tomatoes by heating them and letting them simmer with some spices.  Feel free to add in some peppers and onions too!

2.  Big bad eggplant...sliced.  Not perfectly, but "coupé en rondelles" i.e. cut in circles.  I suppose you can be more precise if you intend to cook for others or really want to make it look pretty.  *shrug*  Although, this is quite ideal for lunch leftovers if you need to bring something to work on a chilly day.  

3. Beat your egg(s) in a bowl.  Place your flour and any spices you so choose in a bowl next to your beaten egg. So, what you are going to do is fry these little eggplant rondelles.  What you do is dip them in your beaten egg bowl.  Get them all nice and eggy.  Then dredge them in the flour mixture you concocted.  (*I used a mixture of oat flour, almond meal and adobo seasoning.  I should admit that I have been experimenting with flours and things.  Regular flour would work fine.  The oat flour and almond meal are more of a taste thing.  :  )  Feel free to experiment yourself too.*)  Next, you heat up some oil in a skillet and fry the eggplant, then place on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.  You will do this in batches so as not to crowd the eggplant.  

I suppose I should mention that I probably did not add enough oil.  But, they still turned out okay.  There were also some pieces I did not fry either.  I did a blend when putting the dish together which worked out well.  But, I do think that frying every piece adds a nice flavor and a bit of an extra kick.  

4.  So, take a baking dish (I used two pie plates for this).  Coat the bottom with your tomato sauce mixture.  Then top with the fried eggplant.

5.  Next, add in mozzarella chunks or slices.  It is probably easier to slice it thinner than I did.  Trial and error.  But, it was definitely cheesy in a good way.  Top with the sauce, then more eggplant and more mozzarella.  You now should have two layers.  

6.  Top with some Parmesan!  I may or may not have gone overboard with the cheese.  Mighty tasty though.  

7.  Bake in the oven at 350-375 degrees for 40 min. to an hour depending on your oven.  It is done when the cheese is melted and the Parmesan is slightly crispy.  

Bon appétit!