Fried Eggplant with Tomato Sauce

Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe.

As a Z3 dish be careful not to overdo your bread/crunch during the day. This is definitely your crunch factor in your dinner.

Serves: 4-6, depending on if you use your portion as an entree or side dish

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbl of peanut oil. Peanut oil has what is called a higher flashpoint so it doesn’t smoke when you use it to fry foods. It also tastes great.
• 1 large eggplant or 2 medium eggplant, sliced about 1/4-1/2″ thick. You can peel it if you want but it’s not necessary.
• 3 eggs beaten
• 1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 cup of grated or shredded parmesan
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella
• Basil to shred (for garnish)
• 1 small jar of spaghetti sauce (find one with no sugar)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a shallow bowl combine your bread crumbs, Parmesan, and garlic powder. Mix.

In another shallow bowl place your eggs. you are setting up a dipping station.

Heat your oi in a large saute pan. Dip the eggplant pieces into the egg mix and then into the bread crumb mix. Do them one at a time and then transfer them to the hot oil in the pan. you’ll get them all in if the pan is large enough or do them in batches. Fry the one side to your crispy liking and then carefully turn it over with a spatula to fry the other side. Season with grated sea salt an pepper to your taste as you go.

As they are done you can set the eggplant on a cookie sheet that you’re keeping warm in the oven. If there is going to be no delay in serving they will stay warm for a bit on a serving platter if you loosely drape them with aluminum foil. Don’t seal the eggplant or the steam will release and make your dish soggy.

While you are frying the eggplant, all you need to do is heat spaghetti sauce in a sauce pan.

To plate:

Put a pool of spaghetti sauce on the plate. Cover with hot eggplant. Then sprinkle on mozzarella and basil strings and you’re set to serve.

Enjoy!

Cheers,