Good afternoon to you! Just a quick blog to tell you about the yummy meal I made last night… so if you don’t already have dinner planned, this could be it! I’ve been craving Eggplant Parmigiana like you would’t believe. Andy and I had an impromptu dinner date at Giuseppe’s in Pismo Beach on Monday and it took everything in me NOT to order it! I can only guess how much cheese, fat and vegetable oil they put in it so I was tempted to create my own healthy “spin” on one of my all-time favorites dishes made by my Ma.

Cute eh?!

This meal took me just minutes to prepare and I cooked the eggplant during my lunch break so it would be easy peesy when I got home last night from teaching. God I love eggplant. I love the color, the texture, the many ways it can be cooked or grilled and it’s amazing in moussaka and ratatouille. It’s also low in fat and in carbs so you won’t feel like you have a basketball in your belly after you devour my version! Mangia!

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Eggplant Parm Sandwiches Minus the Bread- serves 2 or more 

Ingredients:

-1 large eggplant, sliced one inch thick

-1 large tomato, sliced one inch thick

-6 basil leaves

-hard Parmesan cheese

-tomato sauce

-olive oil

-balsamic vinegar

-1/2 cup bread crumbs

-1 egg

-salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.

2. Slice the eggplants.

3. Beat the egg and place in a small bowl. Place a small amount of bread crumbs in another bowl.

4. Using a brush, lightly coat the eggplant slices with the egg, and then rub both sides with bread crumbs.

5. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes or until soft.

6. Next, begin to stack the tomato, basil and cheese on top. Place another eggplant slice on top and add a spoonful of tomato sauce.

7. Place back into the oven for an additional 8-10 minutes until the cheese has throughly melted. Drizzle some olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top and enjoy!

Pair this yummy Roussanne from Tablas Creek with your meal and call it a day!