Eggplant Ecstasy

Last night, CBH came over for a girls' night at my place so I had the chance to cook with someone else for a change.  We decided to make eggplant parmesan, which I've only had once or twice before.  In general, I think anything parmesan is fairly high in fat, but I found a reasonable, "healthy" recipe that avoids frying and uses low-fat cheese (see the original recipe at eatingwell.com). 

1 eggplant
2 egg whites
1.5 tbsp water
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400.

Cut eggplant into discs, about 1/4 inch thick.

Mix parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs in a bowl.

Beat egg whites and water together in a separate bowl.

Coat the eggplant discs with the egg white liquid.  Then, dip them into the cheese and breadcrumb bowl until coated.

Place the discs on a greased baking sheet.  Bake them for 30 minutes, turning them over after the first 15 minutes. 

Mix the basil with the tomato sauce, and use some of the sauce to cover the bottom of a casserole dish.  Place half of the eggplant discs in a layer on top of the sauce.  Add another layer of sauce, then put the rest of the eggplant on top.  Add the rest of the tomato sauce, and top with the grated parmesan and mozzarella cheese.  Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is light brown. 

We served the eggplant parmesan over whole wheat pasta and had sauteed zucchini and squash as a side. 

We found this recipe to be a bit time-consuming, but it was nothing that a few glasses of wine and the Lady Gaga station on Pandora couldn't get us through.  Plus, the dish was absolutely delicious.  I highly recommend it and can't wait to try making chicken parmesan sometime!