It's August: Eat Your Eggplant!

Last evening I made eggplant parmigiana, but I never touched a frying pan or greasy bread crumbs. In fact, I never liked the dish until I tasted this version, a recipe I acquired from a low-calorie cookbook published in the 1960s by Helen Gurley Brown, long-time editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine. I'm sure variations of this idea have now appeared in dozens of cookbooks. Here's how I do it:

Instead of frying the eggplant, brush the eggplant slices with olive oil, as much or as little as you like. (HGB called for only 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon per slice; I use a bit more.) Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes on a greased baking sheet. (That's 10 minutes for each side--make sure you brush the opposite side with oil as well). Spoon a few tablespoons of marinara or tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Then place the baked eggplant slices in the dish. Top with the sauce and the grated mozzarella and parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is lightly browned. Note: I take store-bought sauce (Whole Foods 365 Red Pepper Tomato Sauce) and I add chopped fresh basil and 1 clove of garlic. I simmer this in the microwave to blend the flavors. I also recommend squeezing 1 clove of garlic into the olive oil that is brushed onto the eggplant slices.

I wish I'd remembered to take a photo of the finished product, but this version looks like any other eggplant parm. We were too busy getting it and the Rosemount Shiraz on the table.