Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Prep time: 15 minutes          Cook time: 65 minutes          Total time: 80 minutes

About:

I had never made (well, actually, I’d never eaten) eggplant Parmesan before the other night. I had always baked eggplant or added it into stir fry. So, I decided to tackle something new. This recipe is not difficult to make, however, it is time consuming. I recommend making this dish on a night on which you have some free time, such as a weekend. It will be worth your time, though! I was very impressed with this recipe and it is one that I will make again and again.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into slices

1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1/4 cup regular breadcrumbs

1/2 large white onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 eggs

2  1/2 tablespoons water

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 tablespoons Italian seasoning

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon onion powder

Salt and pepper

Non-stick cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Alright, let the fun begin! Start the fun by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. While the oven is preheating, peel and cut your large eggplant (shape doesn’t matter as long as the pieces aren’t too thick to crisp while baking).
2. Once you’ve chopped up your eggplant in a desirable fashion, whisk two eggs in a mixing bowl. Add the water to the whisked eggs and whisk together for togetherness. Set aside.
3. In a larger but separate mixing bowl, add the 2/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup regular breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/2 tablespoon oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix this together (I used my hands because it was more fun than using a fork or spoon).
4. Get out a large baking dish and coat it with nonstick cooking spray.
5. Now’s the time to dip. Take each individual slice of peeled eggplant and dip it into the egg and water mixture. Give it a careful shake to rid of the excess, then dredge it through the mixture of breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and seasonings. Once it’s coated well, place onto the baking sheet. Do this with every single piece of eggplant. Arrange them on the baking sheet so that they do not touch or overlap.
6. Once you’ve got every piece of eggplant breaded, pop the baking sheet into the oven and let the eggplant bake for 23 minutes on each side. So set your timer for 23 minutes, flip the eggplant pieces, and bake the other side for another 23 minutes. This makes 46 minutes total baking time.
7. While the eggplant pieces are baking, it’s time to focus on the sauce. If you have not done so already, chop the onion and garlic. Spray a skillet with nonstick cooking spray and saute the onion and garlic until the onion is clear and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
8. Next, open the 26 oz can of tomato sauce and pour into a saucepan. Add the sauteed onion and garlic. You also want to add 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder, 1/2 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer.

9. Once the second side of the eggplant has been baked, it’s time to remove it from the  oven. It should look a little something like this:

10. Now it’s time for the real fun. Kick up the oven temperature to 400 degrees. While this temperature is preheating, spray a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

11. Spoon about 3 or 4 tablespoons of the sauce onto the bottom of the dish, and then begin to line the bottom with your first layer of baked eggplant pieces. Once the bottom of the dish is relatively covered with eggplant, pour half of the sauce on top of the eggplant. Once you’ve done that, sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce.

12. Repeat the process by adding another layer of eggplant pieces on top of the cheese.

13. Then, add another layer of sauce on top of the eggplant. Add the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the tomato sauce. You should now have the building blocks of baked eggplant Parmesan set into place.

14. Once you’ve built your eggplant Parmesan and the oven is preheated at 400 degrees, place the eggplant Parmesan into the oven and bake for in 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted (I baked mine for 17 minutes).

15. Remove from oven, serve, and enjoy!

Sriracha Peanut Butter Tofu

Prep Time: 15 minutes          Cook Time: 15 minutes          Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

3  1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

2  1/4 tablespoons rice vinegar

3  1/2 tablespoons peanut butter

2  1/2 tablespoons water

1  1/2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce

1 block tofu

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 small, hot red pepper

Preparation:

1. Press and drain your tofu. Once your tofu has been drained, slice it into cubes or strips (your preference, really). Pour cornstarch into a mixing bowl and cover the tofu pieces in the cornstarch.

2. Add olive oil to your skillet. Heat over medium.

3. While the oil is heating, mix together the sauce. To do this, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, peanut butter, and Sriracha sauce. Whisk this together with a fork or mix well with a spoon until it is a smooth consistency.

4. Once the olive oil is heated, place the tofu into the skillet. Brown both sides, about 3-4 minutes for each side.

5. Once the tofu has browned, pour the sauce over the tofu. Let the sauce thicken, about 3 minutes. If the sauce needs more moisture and is already too thick, add a little water.

6. Dice up the small red pepper (be sure to remove the seeds if you don’t want the heat). Sprinkle over the tofu.

7. Serve and enjoy!

Tofu & Eggplant Stir Fry

Prep Time: 20 minutes         Cook Time: 20 minutes          Total Time: 45 minutes

Note: Prep Time will vary depending on whether or not the tofu is already drained and the rice is already cooked. I picked a time somewhat in the middle to accommodate, but if the tofu is already drained and rice already cooked, the prep time could only consist of dicing your tofu, eggplant, and vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 block tofu, cubed

2/3 cup Eggplant, cubed

1 cup cooked brown rice

1/2 large sweet onion, sliced

2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2/3 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup broccoli

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

2-3 tablespoons soy sauce

Vegetable Oil (enough to coat the bottom of your pan)

Cornstarch (enough to coat your tofu pieces)

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

1  1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Cook the rice as instructed on the back of the package. In the meantime, if you haven’t already, drain your tofu and dice your vegetables.

2. Heat enough vegetable oil in your skillet or frying pan on medium-high heat to fry the tofu and eggplant. (I apologize for not having a measurement for this; I just eyeball it. I’d say it’s around 1/4 to 1/3 cup).

3. While the oil is heating up, coat your tofu pieces in cornstarch. This will help the tofu crisp.

4. When the oil is heated, add the tofu. Let the pieces fry until the bottom is browned, about 4-5 minutes. Flip the tofu and brown the other side, another 4-5 minutes.

5. Once the tofu has browned, temporarily remove the pieces from the oil and onto a plate. Set aside.

6. Add the pieces of eggplant into the oil. Add more oil if necessary (tofu tends to soak it up).

7. Let the eggplant brown on one side (about 6-8 minutes), flip the eggplant, and brown the opposite side.

8. Once the eggplant has browned, reduce the heat to medium and add the diced carrot, onion, garlic, and broccoli. Let this saute, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent.

9. Return the tofu to the pan.

10. Add the cooked rice, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, five spice, sesame seeds, and salt and pepper. Stir well and allow to simmer 2-3 minutes before serving (add a bit more hoisin sauce if things get dry).

11. Serve and enjoy!