Eggplant Aftermath

This week was alright.  I got to see a good friend who I haven't had a visit with in a while (and some other ladies who live closer to home who I haven't seen in a bit either!).  I made it out to a yoga class, which is something I haven't managed to do in months. 
The class was a little bit odd - the instructors style didn't really make sense to me, so I think I'm going to look around for another one to try out (although this class seems to switch out instructors every few months, so I may give it another shot then).

My other major accomplishment this week was attempting an eggplant parmesan for the first time ever!  It was delicious! And quick!  Then I wondered why I'd never made one before!

I based my attempt on the recipe found in the classic Better Homes & Gardens binder-style cookbook (an older edition of this one).

Basically, you bread and fry some eggplant slices, then smother them in tomato sauce & cheese and bake it in the oven until the cheese is melty.  Simple right?

Here's how I did it!

I started by putting together a quick tomato sauce:  I threw some diced onion, garlic, carrots, celery and mushrooms in a small saucepan, let them soften a bit and then poured over some jarred strained tomatoes.  I added basil, oregano and some diced roasted red pepper and put the lid on it and let it simmer.

While the tomato sauce was cooking away, I heated some oil in the frying pan.  While the oil was heating, I cut my eggplant into 1/2 inch slices (because I had a very fat eggplant, I then cut my slices in half, but if you have a skinnier one, that won't be necessary).
I dipped the slices into an egg wash (1 egg beaten with a little bit of water) and then in some whole wheat flour (breadcrumbs would also work) to coat.  The coated eggplant went into the pan and cooked for about 4-6 minutes total.  I flipped them halfway through so they were browned on both sides.
I drained them on some paper towels so the dish wouldn't be too greasy in the end.  I then placed them in the bottom of a lasagna pan (you could use a casserole dish too!) and sprinkled some parmesan cheese over them.  Pour over your tomato sauce, sprinkle some shredded cheese on top (I had white cheddar in the house, so that's what I used, but mozzarella would work as well) and then bake, uncovered, in a 400F oven for 10-12 minutes.

While it was baking, I threw together a quick green salad with apples, walnuts and avocado and a homemade creamy honey-mustard dressing.  Then we ate!
I don't have any photos of the process, but I do have a photo of some of the aftermath:

Did I mention it was delicious?