even better eggplant parmesan

Let’s clear the air before I present you with today’s stellar recipe with sub-par photos.

1. I do my laundry at home, not a Laundromat.

2. The $20 was the Husband’s – and he was aware of the situation.

Today I was craving comfort food – I’m talking something kind of greasy and oily here. It is really very unusual for me to want something like this, so I just went with it. I had half of a huge eggplant hanging out in my fridge just begging to be used, so I figured eggplant parmesan was on the menu for tonight!

I came to the realization tonight that Italian food really does take a little bit of effort. Not that it’s difficult, but it just takes long & requires a lot of dish washing. Once I got the sauce under control (yes, I always make homemade sauce), I got to work on my eggplant parmesan. I’ve made eggplant parmesan in the past, but let’s be honest here. It doesn’t taste as good unless it’s pan fried first.

There, I said it.

The first thing I did was make my breadcrumbs. I toasted a piece of gluten free sandwich bread, and I tossed it in the food processor with 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast, oregano, garlic, pepper, basil,  a handful of walnuts.

Then, I sliced up my eggplant (see them stacked so strategically below?), made a flax egg, and set up my breading station. From left to right, I had:

flax egg bowl, brown rice flour bowl, breadcrumb bowl

I dipped each one of the slices into the three bowls (in the order in which I listed them) and made sure each piece was coated thoroughly. I then pan fried the slices for 2-3 minutes on each side (just to get some browning). This required a lot of olive oil – I won’t lie to you. If you’re looking for a low fat eggplant parmesan, this isn’t it. Is it still healthy? Absolutely. There is nothing unhealthy about olive oil.

After the slices had been browned, I laid them out on a paper towel to help mop up any excess oil. Then I foiled and greased a baking sheet. I stuck the eggplant into the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

The result was more delicious than I could have imagined. The eggplant was tender, the breading was crunchy, and my marinara sauce never fails me.

Along with the eggplant parmesan, I had some roasted broccoli (tossed in olive oil & roasted for 20 minutes at 400 degrees). My stomach is now bursting at the seams, I have oil seeping through my pores, and I am a happy lady.

even better eggplant parmesan

• 1/2 eggplant, sliced in 1/4 inch slices
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp flax mixed with 6 tbsp warm water)
• 1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
• olive oil, for frying

1. Mix your flax egg to let them sit and mold together while you are preparing the eggplant.
2. Slice your eggplant in 1/4 inch slices (some people like to salt their eggplant and let it sit to draw out the bitterness – I can go either way. If you do this, however, make sure you rinse off the eggplant when you’re done with the salting)
3. Set up your breading station. In three separate bowls, you should have: flax eggs, 1/2 cup brown rice flour (or any flour), and 1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs.
4. Dip your eggplant slices one at a time into the flax egg, into the brown rice flour, and the breadcrumbs. Be sure your eggplant is covered thoroughly.
5. Heat olive oil (enough for frying – coat the bottom of the pan) into a large frying pan. Once the oil is heated, place eggplant slices into the pan and brown on each side for about 2-3 minutes. Repeat process until all eggplant has been browned.
6. Place eggplant slices onto paper towels to absorb any extra oil.
7. Then, the eggplant needs to be placed onto a greased baking sheet.
8. Cook eggplant at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping once.

Question: I just realized there is absolutely no parmesan in this recipe. Is it still allowed to be called eggplant parmesan?

PS – Today is the last day to enter the Nuts Online giveaway! Enter now for a gluten free sample pack. Happy entering!

Tagged as: eggplant, eggplant parmesan, italian food, recipe