Since You've All Been Asking.....

...and by that, I mean since all two of you have asked...

I'm unlocking the old recipe vault and sharing my World Famous Eggplant Parmesan recipe that has been in my family for...um, a long time. I must give many props to my mom for this. She still to this day makes THE BEST eggplant parmesan you've ever sunk your teeth into. She & I do ours pretty much the same way, but for some reason hers always turns out 100 times better. I think it's because she sprinkles it with all of her Mom love. And maybe there's a secret ingredient that she's refusing to disclose. In any case, her eggplant is what most of my siblings & I request for our special birthday dinner. That's right. We still request certain things on our birthdays that only Mom can make. Anyway, our version is somewhat healthy because we BAKE our breaded eggplant instead of frying. And trust me, you'll never know the difference.....

*Note: It's about to become blatantly obvious that I do not frequently write recipes. This looks a heck of a lot longer & more difficult than it really is. I just tend to overuse words and error on the side of being too thorough. Probably because I spent so many years teaching & directing preschool aged children, and they need more guidance and directions than you would ever believe. Okay, on to the recipe.
Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:
2 medium eggplants
2 jars of good tomato sauce (I feel very strongly about using vodka sauce- Trader Joe's has a great organic one that is to die for. Super creamy and delicious)
About 4 Ovolini balls (each ball is 4 oz. of fresh mozzarella) OR 4 cups shredded mozzarella
Breadcrumbs, (enough for dredging) plus 1 cup for topping
2 or 3 eggs
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
about 1/2 c. olive oil, plus enough for drizzling on top
3 cloves of garlic, smashed

Directions:

Peel eggplants and slice into about 1/4-1/2" slices. Lay out onto paper towels in a single layer and sprinkle each slice liberally with salt. Let sit for about 30 minutes so that the salt will draw out the moisture in the eggplant. Then rinse your eggplant slices under cold water to rinse off salt, pat dry and set aside.

Put your olive oil (1/2 cup more or less....can always add more) in microwave safe dish (I use a Pyrex measuring cup for this part) and put in 3 cloves smashed garlic. Microwave on very very low power setting, for about a minute at a time. The point is to slowly infuse the olive oil with the smashed garlic. Give it a stir, then microwave again and repeat this process until garlic is VERY soft. (You can skip the microwave method and infuse on the stove, but I think this is just so much easier).

Preheat oven to 350.
Use a brush to liberally coat a cookie sheet pan with your garlic infused olive oil.
Break eggs into dish, add a little water and stir well to break up.
In another dish, pour enough breadcrumbs for dredging your eggplant (at least 1-2 cups, you can add more as needed. Also, I use pie dishes for both the egg mixture and the breadcrumb mixture- works v. well). Stir about 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese into breadcrumb mixture.

Begin the assembly line: 1) dip slices into egg 2) dip into breadcrumbs to coat both sides, 3) place on olive oil cookie sheet. Once all your slices are breaded, take your brush again to liberally top each slice with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes; turn each slice over and return to oven for 10 more minutes.

Once all eggplant slices have baked and are now golden and crispy and beautiful, begin the assembly into your baking dish. I usually use a (greased with cooking spray) 9x13 dish. Start with a thin layer of tomato sauce, then one layer or eggplant slices, layer of tomato sauce, and then layer of mozzarella. Continue this pattern until all slices have been used. After the final layer of mozzarella is completed, top with 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Scatter the 1 cup of bread crumbs over the cheese and drizzle liberally with oil. Bake until the top is golden and forms a crust, about 35-40 min.

Make sure to sop up all the goodness leftover on your plate with some tasty crusty bread! Enjoy. And then tell me all about it.