EGGPLANT PARMESAN- AWESOME!

BOY O BOY. This was my first time attempting to make eggplant parm and was it ever a success. This quickly has become one of my favorite dishes.

 I researched a bunch of different recipes and techniques, trying to find the best combination of preserving flavor but staying supremely healthy. Many recipes call for frying the eggplant. Instead of frying, I oven roasted the eggplant in olive oil and oregano . This gives you a nice crisp crust on the eggplant and a baked in oregano flavor without all the unhealthiness of frying. Its a little more labor intensive then some of my other recipes but put some music on, pour yourself a drink and give it a try.

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
-1 bunch Basil
-Breadcrumbs
-3 egg whites
-1 Jar of your favorite Marinara sauce
-Garlic, lots and lots of Garlic
-Dried Oregano
-Salt and Pepper
-Shredded Mozzarella cheese
-Parmesan

Directions


1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Put the whites of three eggs in a bowl. Discard Yolks.

3. In another bowl mix breadcrumbs, dried Oregano salt and Pepper. Im not sure exactly how much to put in because I ran out a few times so I kept refilling the bowl with the mixture.

4. Slice your eggplant into 1/4 inch strips. Dip the Eggplant in the eggwhites and then roll around in the breadcrumb bowl so the eggplant is lightly covered. Repeat for all your eggplant slices.

5. Place breaded eggplant slices on a oven tray. I had to use two, so its nice if you have an extra tray. Drizzle olive oil generously over eggplant. Cook for 15 minutes, flip and cook for 15 more. The eggplant should have a crisp golden brown crust when done.

6. While the eggplant is cooking you can either just use your favorite marinara sauce, or as I did, spruce up your favorite marinara sauce. I love Garlic so I minced like 10 cloves of garlic and a handful of basil and put that into the marinara sauce. I added some chicken broth to the sauce, brought to a boil and then let it simmer until the eggplant was ready.

7. When eggplant is ready, take out of the oven. Place a layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a large pyrex backing dish. Lay out eggplant slices, slightly overlapping forming a layer of eggplant. Cover Eggplant in a layer of marinara and mozzarella cheese. Use rest of eggplant to create another layer of eggplant and cover that eggplant in marinara, mozzarella and parmesan.

8. Place back in oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling

9. Try not to drool in it when you take it out.