Eggplant Parmesan For Two Food

EGGPLANT PARMESAN II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes on each side.
• In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.
• Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN FOR TWO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Cut eggplant crosswise into 8 slices; spray both sides of each slice with cooking spray. Sprinkle with oregano. Heat large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add eggplant; cook 3 to 4 min. on each side or until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer to plate; cover to keep warm.
• Add onions to skillet; cook and stir on medium-low heat 3 min. Stir in pasta sauce; cook and stir 2 min. or until heated through. Add spinach; cook 1 min. or just until wilted, stirring frequently.
• Arrange 4 eggplant slices in 8- or 9-inch square baking dish; cover with half the sauce. Repeat layers. Top with cheeses; cover.
• Bake 20 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with basil.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA 2

Steps:

• For the sauce: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and onions and season with salt and the red pepper flakes. Cook until the onions become translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sugar and the canned tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to break up some of the whole tomatoes and cook 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time to time. Taste for seasoning. The tomatoes should be fairly broken down and the flavors coming together. Cook for another few minutes if the tomatoes still taste like they need a little more time to break down. Add 2 to 3 cups water to the sauce as it cooks if it looks like it's getting too thick. Set aside to cool.
• For the eggplant: Arrange the eggplant rounds in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt, on both sides of each slice, and allow it to sit for about an hour. (Salting it draws out the liquid and bitter flavor.) After an hour, rinse with cold water and dry them thoroughly with a kitchen towel.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Put the flour in a medium bowl. In another, whisk together the eggs and milk. In a third bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the oregano and fresh thyme leaves. Dip each eggplant slice in the flour and shake off any excess. Then, dip in the egg mixture and finally in the breadcrumbs. Make sure to coat both sides of each slice. Arrange them in single layers back on the baking sheets.
• In a large skillet, pour enough oil to accumulate about 1/2-inch in the bottom. Heat the oil until it begins to smoke lightly (alternatively, test with a thermometer and wait until it registers between 380 and 400 degrees F). Use a pair of kitchen tongs to add a single layer of the eggplant to the oil. Cook them until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the oil and transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a kitchen towel so the eggplant can drain as the others cook. Season lightly with salt. Take care to reheat the oil back up to temperature before adding another batch of slices to the pan.
• To assemble: In a 17- by 11-inch baking dish, spoon about one-quarter of the tomato sauce on the bottom. Top with a layer of the fried eggplant. The eggplant slices can overlap slightly. Top with about one of the mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with about one-quarter of the Parmesan and provolone cheeses. Spoon more sauce and repeat two more times to make 3 layers. Top with the remaining mozzarella. Place the dish in the top part of the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 30 to 45 minutes. I always nibble on a bit of that before sharing it with my friends! Serve in a bowl so that you don't miss anything!

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Arrange the eggplant slices on several baking sheets and sprinkle generously all over with kosher salt. Set aside to let the bitter juices weep from the eggplant, about 1 hour.
• Transfer the eggplant to a colander in the sink, and rinse well under cold running water. Transfer eggplant to a work surface and blot very dry with paper towels.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, breadcrumbs, oregano, thyme, and season with pepper.
• Place the flour in a medium lipped plate or bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Dredge an eggplant slice in the flour, then dip it in the egg, and finally dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
• In a large straight-sided skillet, pour the oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. Heat the oil over medium heat until it registers 400 degrees F on a deep frying thermometer. (The oil must be heated to 400 degrees F. so that the breaded eggplant, when added, will drop the temperature of the oil to the proper frying temperature of 375 degrees F.)
• Working in small batches, fry the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly brush a 15 x 10- x 2-inch-baking dish with olive oil. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 of the marinara sauce and arrange half of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with another 1/3 of the sauce. Scatter half of the Parmesan and half of the mozzarella over the sauced eggplant. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
• Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in the salt and season with pepper to taste. Use immediately, store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
• Yield: about 3 1/2 cups
• Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

BAKED-EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush 2 baking sheets with oil; set aside. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons water. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, and basil; season with salt and pepper.
• Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating well; place on baking sheets. Bake until golden brown on bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn slices; continue baking until browned on other side, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from oven; raise oven heat to 400 degrees.
• Spread 2 cups sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange half the eggplant in dish; cover with 2 cups sauce, then 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

NO-FRY EGGPLANT PARMESAN FOR TWO

Steps:

• Peel and cut eggplant into 1/2 inch thick slices. Sprinkle eggplant slices with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Stack them vertically in a colander, or lay them out on paper towels to drain. If they're laid on paper towels, they should be turned once in a while. Let stand for 30 minutes and then blot dry with clean paper towels. Meanwhile, position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Rub 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the eggplant slices, place them on a lipped baking sheet to catch any drips, and bake for 15 minutes. Turn and bake for about 15 additional minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add the onion (diced) and soften for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the minced garlic, oregano, basil, pepper and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly; then raise the heat to medium-high, pour in the tomatoes with their juice, and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cover, reduced the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes, until thickened. The dish can be made in advance up to this point. Cover the eggplant slices and the sauce and refrigerate separately for up to 24 hours; allow both to come back to room temperature before proceeding with the dish.
• Layer the following in this order in a 6-cup casserole dish or an 8-inch square baking pan; one-third of the tomato sauce, half the eggplant slices, half the cheese slices, 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg, half of the remaining tomato sauce, the remaining eggplant slices, the remaining cheese shavings, and the remaining tomato sauce. You may have to cut the eggplant slices to make them fit in one layer, or you may have to overlap them a bit.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until thickened and bubbly. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN FOR TWO (COOK'S COUNTRY)

Steps:

• Bread Eggplant: Cut two 3/4-inch planks lengthwise from center of eggplant, halve each plank crosswise. Cut remaining eggplant into 1/2-inch dice and set aside. Place flour in shallow dish. Beat egg in second shallow dish. Combine bread crumbs, 1/4-cup Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in third shallow dish. One at a time, coat eggplant slices lightly with flour, dip them in egg and dredge in bread crumb mixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer to wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet and let sit 5 minutes (or refrigerate up to 1 hour).
• Cook Eggplant: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450°F Heat 1/2 cup oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook eggplant slices until lightly golden browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to wire rack set inside baking sheet and bake until eggplant is tender and deep golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Make Sauce: Meanwhile, pour off oil and wipe out skillet with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the reserved chopped eggplant and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until eggplant is tender and sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper; cover and keep warm.
• Assemble: Combine remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and provolone in medium bowl. Top browned eggplant slices with cheese mixture and bake until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Transfer half of sauce to platter and top with eggplant slices. Spoon remaining sauce over eggplant. Serve.

SHEET PAN EGGPLANT PANZANELLA FOR TWO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Toss together the bread, eggplant, red pepper, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper on a baking sheet until evenly coated. Bake until the bread is golden brown and crispy and the vegetables are softened and caramelized, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the onions, 3 tablespoons of the vinegar, 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a small bowl and let sit until the onions are softened and just slightly pickled, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Whisk together the capers, Dijon, garlic, remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar and remaining 1 teaspoon sugar in a medium bowl until incorporated. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and whisk until emulsified. Fold in the chickpeas.
• Transfer the bread, eggplant, red peppers and onions to the bowl with the chickpeas and fold until evenly coated. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Gently fold in the basil and mint and serve immediately.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• For the Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce:
• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add the red peppers and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth. Return the mixture back to the pot, add the parsley, basil and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes longer and season with honey, if needed.
• To dry out the bread crumbs:
• Preheat the oven to 300 degree F.
• Evenly spread the bread crumbs on a large baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes, turn the oven off and let the bread crumbs sit in the oven for 30 minutes or until just dry.
• Raise the temperature of the oven up to 400 degrees F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 15 by 10 by 2-inch baking dish and set aside.
• Place the bread crumbs into a large shallow bowl. Add the herbs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. In another medium shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and 2 tablespoons of water together.
• Season each eggplant slice on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, tapping off excess, then dip it in the egg, and finally dredge it in the bread crumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the egg plant to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
• Heat 1/2-inch of oil in 2 large straight-sided saute pans over medium heat until the oil reaches a temperature of 385 degrees F. Working in small batches, fry a few of the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
• Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with some of the tomato sauce and arrange 1/2 of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with some of the sauce, grated mozzarella, fontina, Romano cheese and some of the basil. Repeat to make 3 layers ending with the sauce. Top with the fresh mozzarella and remaining Romano and bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

HEALTHIER EGGPLANT PARMESAN FOR TWO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Using a vegetable peeler, remove skin from rounded side of each eggplant half, leaving a 1" strip of skin around the cut edges; this will hold the eggplant together during cooking. Place eggplant, 2 tablespoons oil in an eight or nine inch baking dish. Turn eggplant to coat with oil; season with salt and pepper and place cut side down. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake until eggplants are very soft, 40-45 minutes.
• Toss breadcrumbs and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl. Turn eggplant halves cut side up in the baking dish. Top eggplant halves with tomato sauce and mozzarella, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Bake until mozzarella is bubbling and breadcrumbs are golden, 25-30 minutes.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Slice eggplant and salt each side liberally to prevent bitterness.
• To prevent soggy eggplant,place in a colander set over a bowl and let drain while making sauce.
• For the sauce,cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch tomatoes together in a pot of boiling water 1 minute.
• Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, peel off skin, beginning from scored end, with paring knife.
• Coarsely chop tomatoes, then purée in a blender for 30 seconds.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add garlic and shallots,sauté, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomato purée,tomato paste, basil, salt, pepper,sugar,and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in frying pan for eggplant.
• Dip eggplant into beaten egg and then into breadcrumb mixture.
• place eggplant into hot oil and brown each side.
• Once eggplant is browned, transfer it to a plate with paper towels to absorb the oil.
• Preheat oven at 350°.
• In a 9X13 baking dish, pour a third of the sauce on the bottom,.
• arrange eggplant slices on top of the sauce.
• Layer with cheeses,add more sauce,cheese and finish with sauce.
• Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
• add more cheese to top if desired.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Marinara Sauce: Trim root ends of the garlic cloves, then smash with the flat side of a knife. Peel off skins and set aside. In a 4-quart Dutch oven over high heat, add oil, followed by garlic. When the garlic begins to sizzle, add a pinch of salt. Stir and toast the garlic until deep golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Add red pepper flakes (optional, for heat), reduce temperature to low, and add tomatoes. Increase heat to medium, add two pinches of salt and two pinches of sugar, and bring sauce to a simmer, 10-12 minutes. When simmering, taste and adjust for seasoning. Turn off heat.In a large bowl, add two large sprigs of basil, then pour the sauce over the basil. Set aside to steep while preparing the eggplant. (Makes 2 quarts. Once cool, remove and discard basil; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days or in the freezer up to 3 months.)
• Breading Mixture: In a large bowl, add seasoned breadcrumbs, oregano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino, and a big pinch of salt. Stir to mix well and set aside. In another large bowl, whisk eggs; season with a generous amount of black pepper and a few pinches of salt. Add flour to a large bowl.
• Prepare eggplant: Use a vegetable peeler to peel the eggplant; discard peel. Cut away the stem ends and discard. Use a mandoline to slice eggplant lengthwise into ⅛-inch thick slices; for safety, make the last few slices with a chef's knife.
• Arrange bowls side by side for dredging: flour, eggs, and breading mixture. First dredge each eggplant slice in flour, shaking off excess. Then coat with the beaten egg, followed by the breading mixture. Set breaded eggplant on a rack fitted over a baking sheet until ready to fry.
• Fry eggplant cutlets: In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add ⅓ cup oil. (Adjust amount as needed to have about ¼ inch of oil in the pan.) Test the oil's temperature by adding a few drops of water: if the water sizzles right away, the oil is ready for frying. Gently lay the eggplant into the oil facing away from you to avoid getting splattered. Let fry undisturbed, about 2 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain the temperature.Once the first side of the eggplant is golden brown, use tongs to gently flip (facing away from you again) and fry the other side until golden brown and delicious-or "GBD," as Chef Tacinelli puts it- about 1 more minute. As they finish frying, arrange eggplant cutlets in an even layer to drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. (Once the sheet pan is full, cover with more paper towels and place freshly fried eggplant on top.) Fry remaining eggplant, adding more oil as needed and keeping the temperature steady.
• Assembly: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove basil and garlic cloves from tomato sauce and discard. In another bowl, combine the Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino cheeses.Spread 1 cup sauce across the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange eggplant cutlets in a single even layer, tearing some into smaller pieces as necessary to fill the gaps. Press the eggplant layer gently into the sauce. (Do this each time you add an eggplant layer.) Next, spread ⅓ cup sauce over the eggplant, followed by ¼ cup Parmigiano-Pecorino mixture. In even layers, add eggplant, ⅓ cup sauce, ¼ cup Parmigiano-Pecorino, ¾ cup mozzarella, and half of the basil leaves. Then add another layer of eggplant, sauce, and Parmigiano-Pecorino. Finally, layer the remaining eggplant, sauce, Parmigiano-Pecorino, basil, and mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake, 45 minutes. (Here are the layers once more, from the bottom up: 1 C sauce, eggplant, ⅓ C sauce, ¼ C Parmigiano-Pecorino, eggplant, ⅓ C sauce, ¼ C Parmigiano-Pecorino, ¾ C mozzarella, half the basil leaves, eggplant, ⅓ C sauce, ¼ C Parmigiano-Pecorino, remaining eggplant, ⅓ C sauce, ¼ C Parmigiano-Pecorino, remaining basil, ¾ C mozzarella.)
• After 45 minutes, remove Eggplant Parmesan from oven and remove foil. Bake another 10 minutes, uncovered, until golden brown and bubbly. Let rest 20-30 minutes, then cut into squares with a chef's knife and plate with a spatula. Chef Tacinelli likes to add a ladle of hot marinara just before serving.