Eggplant Parmesan

I made this a while ago but haven't gotten around to posting the recipe. This is a pretty easy vegetarian option that is easy to make you own by altering the spices that you put into the breading.  In class, we added some cayenne pepper for a spicier flavor and everyone loved it!

Here is one of the favorite dishes from my first class (I told you I made it a while ago).

Pan-fried Eggplant (serves 2-3)
1 medium eggplant (sliced in 1/4-1/2 inch slices)
1.5 c. Panko bread crumbs
4 eggs
1 c. flour
salt and pepper
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
canola oil

Once the eggplant is peeled and sliced ( I would recommend peeling it because the breading won't stick to the skin) you need to bread it. First, dip the eggplant in seasoned flour, then the egg mixture, then the panko crumbs and parmesan (mixed). Pour the oil into a cast iron frying pan until it will reach 1/2 way up the slices of eggplant. Heat the oil over medium heat to the point that the panko will sizzle if a few crumbs are dropped in. However, you don't want the oil to reach the smoke point. Place the breaded slices of eggplant into the oil until they are golden brown, flip and brown on the other side. Once both sides have been browned they can be placed into a 200 degree oven to keep warm until you are ready to eat them. (These are best eaten within 20 minutes of frying)

Tomato Sauce (serves 2-3)
1 medium onion, small dice (if you aren't going to blend the sauce you might want to only use half)
3 cloves garlic
1/4 c. olive oil
1 can diced tomato
2 Tbs. tomato paste (optional)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
10 leaves fresh basil, sliced
salt and pepper

Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil. You can cook these as much as caramelizing them or just quickly sweat them, its up to you! (If you do caramelize them then you could add a little red/white wine to deglaze the pan which is super yummy!) Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and the red pepper flakes. Let this cook [covered] until you are ready to blend it (up to 1 hour). Blend until smooth, stir in basil and season with salt and pepper.

We ate these with some pasta, tomato sauce, and parmesan cheese.

xx -c

sorry about the lack of photos for this dish most of them mysteriously got deleted off my camera...