Eggplant Parmesan, or "Eggplant Parm" as it's affectionately known, is a classic comfort food that never disappoints. Picture this: layers of thinly sliced, breaded and fried eggplant, blanketed in marinara sauce, and smothered in a gooey, golden layer of melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
It's a delightful medley of textures and flavors – crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and bursting with the richness of tomato sauce and cheese. Whether served as a hearty main dish with a side of pasta or tucked into a warm, crusty Italian roll for a sandwich, Eggplant Parmesan is a crowd-pleaser that's both satisfying and utterly delicious.
Egg Plant Parmesan
When it comes to making any parmesan-style dish, an oven is required. Requiring lots of cheese. This recipe here is quick to make, and light on the stomach. Besides being fun to make, its one of those dishes that only requires a skillet.
Skillet Only
All the ingredients will be prepared and put onto a skillet.
Slice the onion thin. Chop the bell pepper into small pieces. Peel and chop eggplant into small pieces. Combine all ingredients into the skillet with 2 tablespoons of water. bring to a boil then simmer covered for about 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add Water
Stir occasionally while cooking, adding water if necessary to keep vegetables from sticking.
Garlic, Onion, Red Bell Pepper, Eggplant, Water, Tomato, Capers, Basil Leaves, Parmesan Cheese Blend/Process until smooth. Re-heat when ready to serve. Serve over pasta or bread of choice topped with grated Parmesan Cheese.
Ingredients:
1 garlic
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
½ Medium White Onion
½ Medium Red Bell Pepper
½ Medium Eggplant
2 tablespoon Water
1 Medium Tomato
1 tablespoon Capers
4 Leaves Basil
1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
½ Cup Breadcrumbs
Directions:
Peel and chop eggplant into small pieces.
Slice the garlic thin. Chop the onion, bell pepper, and tomato into small pieces. Combine all ingredients in a pot with ½ cup water, bringing to a boil then simmering covered for about 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally while cooking, adding water if necessary to keep vegetables from sticking.
Supplemental Information:
FAQs:
1) What if I don't have that many vegetables on hand?
Eggplant parmesan is a dish that can be made by taking the ingredients you have and improvising from there. For example, if you had an onion but no bell pepper, you could add some red chili flakes to give the dish some heat. If you had tomatoes but no eggplant, then this would make a good pasta sauce as well.
2) Where can I find capers?
Capers can usually be found in any grocery store's condiment aisle, or near the olives and other pickled foods. Alternatively, they could also be ordered online: http://www.amazon.com/Seeds-Garden-Capers-Caperberries-Ounce/dp/B00R6ZF9VC .
3) Can I make this dish vegan?
Vegan option: Replace the mozzarella cheese with some grated carrots, and replace the egg in the breading mixture with a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax seed + 3 tablespoon water mixed together). Add grated zucchini or yellow squash instead of eggplant.
4) What if I want to make it gluten-free?
Gluten Free Option: Use gluten free breadcrumbs (most grocery stores carry this), and use a gluten free flour, such as rice flour, for the breading mixture. For the wheat-eaters out there, you can try using whole wheat breadcrumbs.
5) What if I don't like (insert ingredient here)?
Swap it! The world is your oyster (or eggplant)! If you don't like bell pepper, make it without. Don't like tomato? No biggie, leave it out. Have a vegetarian friend coming over for dinner? Make it without meat!
6) I have this dish at my favorite restaurant, but they use different vegetables and different seasonings!
How do I get that same flavor?
Try making the original dish
Again, the world is your oyster (or eggplant)! Try making the original dish with eggplant, tomatoes, and basil as the vegetables, but with a different seasoning. Maybe instead of garlic powder you want to use some minced garlic? Don't forget that you can also try other spice combinations, such as curry powder or cumin! You can also add other ingredients to this dish, such as olives, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and even an herbed cream sauce!
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