Eggplant Parmesan II

Wow!  I really can't believe how well my eggplant ended up doing this year.  They got off to such a slow start that I feared the cold weather would come before I got many vegetables.  However, I keep getting eggplant even in this not-too-hot but pretty humid weather so I'm very happy.  Two plants in particular that no kidding, I almost pulled them out of my vegetable bed because they weren't doing ANYTHING for so long, have been my best producers!  Those beds are on the south side of my barn which is brown, so I wonder if the location is beneficial - protection from winds coming from the northwest plus radiant heating coming off of the barn wall.

I posted an eggplant parmesan recipe earlier this summer that uses flour for the breading.  Below is a recipe that uses breadcrumbs.  The flour is healthier - I am basing this on the fact that much less oil is needed for frying.  The breadcrumbs really absorb the oil and refills are often needed as you're frying.

However - using breadcrumbs is very tasty!  So here is the recipe again, only with breadcrumbs.

1 medium eggplant
3 eggs (well beaten in large bowl)
2-3 cups of breadcrumbs
canola oil (for pan frying)
your favorite tomato sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan or romano cheese, shredded or grated

1. Peel the eggplant and slice very thin.  Usually I slice in "rounds".
2. Bread the eggplant slices by dipping in egg, and then coat completely in breadcrumbs.
3. Heat the canola oil in large skillet on fairly high heat.  There should be enough oil to completely cover the skillet and it should be about 1/4" deep.
4. Fry each eggplant slice in the oil until lightly browned.  As you take them out to put in the next batch, blot them on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
5. In a 9"x11" baking dish, lightly coat the bottom with tomato sauce.  Add the eggplant slices to cover the bottom of the dish (only one layer).  Spoon tomato sauce on each one, then sprinkle with the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.  Add another layer and repeat until all the eggplant is used.  
6. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F until heated through and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes.  Bake for the first 20 minutes with aluminum foil to prevent the cheese from getting overdone.  If you are freezing for future use, you don't need to bake it now - just tightly cover and freeze.  You can bake it later thawed out or frozen (just allow longer baking time if frozen, of course).

Enjoy!