Eggplant Mozzarella Tower Food

EGGPLANT MOZZARELLA TOWER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• For marinara, in a small saucepan over medium heat, warm oil and sauté onion for 4 mins or until translucent .Add garlic and sauté, stirring continually do not brown .Add tomatoes and herbs and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10mins set aside.
• Season eggplant slices with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour, shaking off the excess. Next dip each slice in egg, then in the bread crumbs. Set aside.
• In large skillet heat vegetable oil over high heat until very hot. Sauté eggplant one slice at a time until golden brown.
• Places the cooked sliced on a baking sheet,.
• Top each with a tomato slices and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake for 10mins until golden brown and cheese is melted.
• To serve stack three eggplant / tomato slices on each plate. Garnish with some basil spoon marinara around eggplant tower.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN TOWERS

Steps:

• To make a quick marinara sauce, place a saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Pour in the red wine and cook for 1 minute to reduce. Using your hands or a potato masher, crush the tomatoes and add to the saucepot, including any juices from the can. Stir to combine. Add 1 whole stem of fresh basil leaves. Bring the sauce to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium low. Allow the sauce to continuing cooking while the rest of the components are prepared.
• Pour the vegetable oil into a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot and attach a deep-frying thermometer. Heat the oil over medium heat to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and top with a cooling rack.
• Set up 3 low-sided dishes to make a breading station: To the first dish, add the flour, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and stir to combine. In the second dish, beat the eggs. To the third dish, add the breadcrumbs.
• Dredge both sides of the eggplant slices in the seasoned flour, shaking each piece to remove any excess. Next, dip the eggplant slices into the egg, allowing it to drip before moving onto the third dish. Then, coat the eggplant in the breadcrumbs evenly on both sides.
• Working in batches, carefully place the breaded eggplant into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to the cooling rack on the baking sheet. Sprinkle each slice generously with kosher salt. Continue this process until all the eggplant rounds have been fried.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the basil stem from the marinara sauce.
• Remove the paper towels from the baking sheet. Build towers on the cooling rack: Top a slice of eggplant with 1 tablespoon of marinara sauce, 1 tablespoon mozzarella, 1 tablespoon Parmesan and 1 basil leaf. Place a second piece of eggplant on top and repeat this process. Top the tower with a third piece of eggplant and repeat only with sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan (no basil). Repeat this process to create 8 towers on the cooling rack.
• Bake until the cheese is melted and slightly browned on top, about 20 minutes. Transfer the towers to a serving platter. Garnish each eggplant tower with a fresh basil leaf and serve immediately.

EGGPLANT AND MOZZARELLA MELT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a shallow bowl, lightly beat eggs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread breadcrumbs in a pie plate or shallow bowl.
• Oil a rimmed baking sheet. Dip eggplant rounds in egg, then dredge in breadcrumbs, turning to coat completely; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Bake (without turning) until golden and tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, split bread lengthwise, and place cut side up on another baking sheet; press gently in centers to create a well. Layer both halves with tomato sauce, eggplant, and cheese. Bake until cheese is browned in spots, 6 to 8 minutes.

EGGPLANT-MOZZARELLA MELT

Steps:

• Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush eggplant and onion liberally with oil; season generously with salt and pepper. Brush grates with oil. Grill onion, flipping once, until softened and lightly marked in spots, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with vinegar.
• Grill eggplant slices until just tender on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip and top each with cheese; cook until eggplant is tender and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, grill rolls until lightly marked. Sandwich lettuce, eggplant, onion, and basil with rolls. Serve immediately.

EGGPLANT AND MOZZARELLA MELTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475°F. In a shallow bowl, lightly beat eggs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread bread crumbs in another shallow bowl.
• Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Dip eggplant rounds in egg, letting excess drip back into bowl, then dredge in bread crumbs, turning to coat completely; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Bake (without turning slices) until golden and tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, split bread lengthwise, and place halves, cut sides up, on another baking sheet; press gently in centers of each bread half to create a well.
• Layer both bread halves with tomato sauce, eggplant, and cheese. Bake until cheese is browned in spots, 6 to 8 minutes. To serve, cut into 4 pieces.
• Breading Made Easy
• Rather than being fried on the stove, the breaded eggplant slices are baked to a golden crust in the oven, with much less cleanup. When breading, dip one or two slices at a time in the egg, then allow the excess to drip back into bowl before coating completely with bread crumbs.