Eggplant

We've always struggled with this one. While I think the eggplant itself is so pretty (i love the deep purple color. now only if the top was orange instead of green it would be perfect :) ), it has always been a challenge to cook something delicious with it. This season I was determined. All I wanted was one, just one, "keeper" recipe for eggplant. While there is still an eggplant pasta recipe I plan to try, the recipe below is our current keeper. It came in at a 3.5, which for eggplant means it stays in the recipe binder.

Baked Eggplant with Mushroom-Tomato Sauce
Serves 4
Adapted from Cheap Healthy Good

1 peeled eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 1/4 pounds)
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper (We used Red Bell Pepper because we had it on hand)
1/2 teaspoon dried pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (used a little less, see note about tomato sauce)
1/4 teaspoon salt (used a little less if even any, see note about tomato sauce)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (8-ounce) mushrooms, sliced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce, divided (Did not have plan tomato sauce on hand so used jarred, flavored spaghetti sauce. I believe it was Basil and something flavored. I cut back on the seasonings a little because the sauce was flavored.)
2/3 cup (about 3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1) Salt eggplant slices and place in colander on top of a plate. After 30 minutes, rinse eggplant thoroughly and pat down with paper towels.

2) Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray.

3) Lay eggplant out on the sheet. Broil 8 minutes, flipping once, until both sides are a little brown.

4) Turn oven to 375°F. Coat a 1 1/2-quart baking dish (round if possible) with cooking spray.

5) In a large nonstick pan or skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, green pepper, pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic, and mushrooms. Cover. Saute 7 or 8 minutes, until soft, lifting cover to stir occasionally. Jack heat up to medium-high. Take cover off. Cook a few more minutes (not more than 4 or 5) "until liquid evaporates."

6) Pour 1/2 mushroom/onion mixture into baking dish. Place 1/2 of the eggplant in a layer on top of that. "Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon pepper." Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce on top of the eggplant. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers, leaving off the mozzarella at the end. Cover (with tin foil or dish lid) and bake 60 minutes. Uncover. Sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup mozzarella and all the parmesan. Bake 5 minutes. Cheese should melt. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes.

While this recipe is time consuming, it is the best eggplant recipe we've tried at home. Make sure you don't skip over the part about it baking for 60 minutes and just read "Bake 5 minutes" like I did. Once I realized it had to cook for 60 minutes and it was 8pm, I cooked it for about 40 minutes and left the cheese off at the end. Into the fridge it went for the next night. The next night I baked it without the cheese for another 20 (until the sauce was bubbly), added the cheese, and baked for an additional 10 min.

The mushroom, onion, and pepper mixture added great flavor and we think that is what makes the dish a keeper. For the men in your lives, you will need to add a side salad or veggie to it. The dish has a kick with the red pepper so don't decrease that spice. It has been great for leftovers also.

Oh and check out the site where the recipe came from. I've pulled a few other recipes from there that I look forward to trying.

Enjoy!
A