Jamie says: I went to the farmers’ market in St Petersburg for the first time. I love food markets. They have this contagious and bustling energy about them. There’s food to eat now and food to make later. After a picnic lunch on the lawn watching a cooking demo, I strolled through the fresh produce and this misfit eggplant called my name. Funny-shaped food intrigues me. You could say I’m embracing nature’s bounty, but I’ve also always liked the weird M&M’s, too. You know, the lumpy ones with one and half peanuts in them. So here’s my eggplant…
Funky farmers’ market eggplant
And so what did I do with my eggplant? I made Baked Eggplant Parmesan. And not just any eggplant Parmesan, but my best eggplant Parmesan yet! One that I had to show a picture of to my Italian Grandmother.
Baked Eggplant Parmesan
I think the key to a great eggplant was a good sauce, light olive oil, fresh mozzarella, and fresh snips of basil.
Lightened up eggplant that’s delish!
It went perfectly between two slices of whole wheat bread to make an eggplant parm sandwich. I froze the leftovers and brought them to work. What a treat to have during the work day.
Fit for a king. Perfect for a sandwich.
Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients:
- 1 medium eggplant
- spray extra virgin olive oil
- freshly ground pepper
- jar of favorite sauce
- 1/2 fresh mozzarella ball
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- a dozen leaves of fresh basil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice eggplant into disks. Spray both sides of sliced eggplant with spray extra virgin olive oil and top with freshly ground pepper.
- Place slices in one layer on a baking dish and pour half of sauce on top. Spread sauce evenly. Use remaining eggplant to a second layer and pour remaining sauce on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Slice mozzarella. Sprinkle baked eggplant with Parmesan cheese and distribute pieces of sliced mozzarella evenly on top. Heat an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is hot and melted.
- Remove eggplant from oven. Use kitchen sheers to cut fresh basil over cooked eggplant. Enjoy!
Serves: 6-8
Serving suggestion: Serve with whole wheat bread to make eggplant Parmesan sandwiches.
- Nutrition note: Make baked eggplant instead of fried eggplant to reduce the calories while maintaining the delicious flavor. Using spray olive oil and a single layer of cheese helps reduce the calories even further. No sacrifice in taste here.
Two Sisters, One Kitchen 