Baked (not Fried) Eggplant Parmesan

I got this recipe from a blog called Just a Pinch. This is a delicious and healthy variation on traditional eggplant parmesan. I found this method actually easier (you don't have to deal with frying), healthier and just as tasty!

Ingredients
Eggplant (1 or 2), sliced
Eggs (2 or 3)
Homemade breadcrumbs
Dried herbs (Oregano, Basil and Sage)
Fresh Parmesan Cheese
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Homemade tomato sauce

Equipment
1 bowl for egg wash
1 small square baking pan (9x9 in) (for breading the eggplant)
2 cookie sheets (for baking the eggplant), greased with olive oil
1 rectangle baking pan (9 x13 in) (for baking the whole dish)

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 F.


Grease a 13 x9 glass baking dish with olive oil.


Scramble eggs in a cereal bowl.

Place homemade breadcrumbs in the square baking pan. Sprinkle in the fresh herbs and mix with your fingers.








Slice eggplants fairly thinly.

Grease a baking sheet.

Set up your stations. Have the eggplants to the far left, followed by the egg wash, the breadcrumbs and the cookie sheets. You can do this with one cookie sheet, but it goes faster with 2.

Dunk the eggplant in the egg wash. Lift out and let most of the egg wash come off. Dredge in the breadcrumb mixture on both sides.

Place on the cookie sheet. Continue to bread the eggplants until the sheet is full. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes.

As the eggplant is baking, start in on breading the
next batch.















Pour a thin layer of tomato sauce on the rectangle baking pan.

When the eggplant is done, remove from the oven and place on the rectangle baking pan in a single layer with the tomato sauce.

Put the next batch of breaded eggplants into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Place a layer of shredded cheese over the eggplant.

Continue to bread and bake eggplants, then layer eggplant, cheese and sauce until you run out of eggplants.

Make sure the last layer is a nice layer of cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and pop it into the oven at 450 F for 20 minutes, or until the top layer of cheese is brown and melted.

Delicious!

Fish Linguine

Robyn and I were watching Jamie Oliver on TV and he made this dish. Its really simple to prepare and absolutely delicious! You can find his recipe on The Food Network.

The recipe is Sicilian and calls for fresh sardines. Jamie Oliver used red mullet fillets on the show. I made mine with fillets that were on sale at the grocery store.

Ingredients
1 garlic clove, grated
1 bulb fennel, tops removed and reserved, grated
4 anchovies
1/2 red onion
Pinch of salt
2 red mullet fillets, skin on, scaled and bones removed (any white fish fillet will do)
1 lemon, zested
Splash of white wine
Freshly ground black pepper
1 red chile, seeds removed and finely chopped
9 oz dried linguine

Procedure
In a large stockpot, heat olive oil. Add the grated garlic and fennel and stir fry for a few minutes to soften them.















Add the anchovies and red onion. Saute, but do not let the onions brown.
















Add the salt then lay the fish fillets on top, skin side up. Sprinkle with the lemon zest, and pour a little white wine to stop everything from frying, and start stewing.

Add a good bit of olive oil, some pepper and the chile. Turn the heat down. Juice 1/2 the lemon and add to the fish.












Add the fennel tops.















Meanwhile, cook the linguine in boiling salted water until al dante. Drain.

Take a pair of metal thongs and toss the sauce and linguine together, breaking up the fish meat.

Drizzle with olive oil and some fennel tops.