Eggplant Parmesan

[sandman012]

Growing up in a household that considered buying pasta sauce in a jar a crime, one of my favorite comfort foods is "red sauce Italian-American " ... especially pasta and gravy with all the meats.

I love to cook, and when I am avoiding carbs and/or eating low (saturated) fat, this curbs any cravings I am having ... for me its like eating pasta because of the red sauce. There is no need to bread the eggplant; when done right it’s just as good without.

Overall Approach: precook eggplant, make sauce, layer eggplant with sauce and cheese, bake in oven.

Preheat over to 375

Eggplant - any size, purple variety, sliced 1/4 to 1/2 " thick; (¼ thick will cook quicker and easier; ½ gives a “meatier” consistency, but needs proper cooking times.)

Precooking method, depending on dietary goals: 1) bake eggplant on cookie sheet sprayed with Olive Oil mister in oven, 375 degrees, until eggplant starts getting soft and browns a bit 2) mist a sautee or cast iron pan and cook eggplant until just starting to brown and get soft 3) or, if you need the fat, fry up slices in olive oil until just getting soft and browned; note: eggplant soaks up oil in a big way (and eventually releases it as it fully cooks)

Sauce: either your favorite canned sauce or to make a simple, delicious one:
-sautee some chopped garlic in olive oil- amount is up to you, you can use a little if using a non-stick pan, or a lot if you need the fat; optional 1: fine diced onion cooked until soft; optional 2: brown some ground meat (beef, turkey, or lamb) once the garlic (and onion, if using) is cooked

-add a large can of imported San Marzano tomatoes or Muir Glen tomatoes- any style, diced, crushed, or whole (mash up in pan while cooking)
-cook for a 5 minutes med high heat, then 30 min on med-low heat, until on thicker side.
-For seasoning, add salt and pepper when cooking tomatoes. Throw in some chopped fresh basil at the very end of cooking. Or with the S&P, add some parsley, oregano (go easy, can get very bitter with too much), etc.

Assemble: Put a smattering of sauce on bottom of casserole, put a layer of eggplant, some sauce spread on top, a layer of parmesan and mozzarella (lo-fat, full fat, fresh, the cheap shredded stuff, soy cheese, whatever floats your boat, its all good), repeat, ending with some cheese on top.

Stick in over for ½ hour or so.

Also great way to prepare zucchini!