I wanted to recreate a dish my friend Caroline served that was absolutely delicious, eggplant Parmesan. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to pick a good eggplant.
Here is a quick cheat sheet-
(Thank you Google!)
– Avoid any with brown, soft spots
– The skin should be glossy, not dull
– Knock on it gently. If it sounds hollow, don’t buy it
Now you are officially ready to go:
Healthier Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients:
– 2 eggplants (about 2 pounds total)
– 3 egg whites
– 3 tablespoons water
– 1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
– 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce), divided
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
– 1/4 cup slivered fresh basil leaves
– 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
– 3/4 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese (3 ounces)
Preheat oven to 400º F.
Coat two baking sheets and an 8-by-11 1/2 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Cup eggplants crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Whisk egg whites and water into a shallow bowl until frothy.
Combine breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of Parmesan, salt and pepper in another dish.
Dip the eggplant slices into the egg-white mixture, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture.
Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the eggplant slices over. Bake until crisp and golden (around 15 minutes longer).
Stir basil into the tomato sauce. Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange half the eggplant slices over the sauce, overlapping slightly. Spoon 1 cup of the remaining sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese. Add a layer of the remaining eggplant slices and top with the remaining sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bake, uncovered, until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
Each serving is 203 calories; 6 g fat (3 g sat); 13 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates