Baked Eggplant

Baked Eggplant

I got the most beautiful eggplant at Blue Pike Farm the other day. I decided to just make some baked breaded eggplant slices. They are easy to make and taste great. Eggplant is notorious for soaking up oil when cooking. By baking, rather than frying, you can keep them from getting oily but still be crunchy. I peeled my eggplant, but you can leave the skins on, if you prefer. The recipe is pretty simple. I sliced the peeled eggplant about 1-inch thick and salted them lightly. I let them sit for a bout 30 minutes and then drained them, rinsed them off and patted them dry. I made an egg wash with eggs, a little water, salt, pepper, paprika, dried basil and dried oregano. I dipped the slices in the egg wash and then in bread crumbs. After breading the slices I placed them on a baking sheet and drizzled them with oil. I baked them in a 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, turning once or until tender. To serve them I had some fresh tomato sauce and some Parmesan cheese. So yummy.