Main Ingredients:

2 med eggplants -- sliced 1/4" thick
1 tbsp salt
1 c Egg Beaters
--or 4 egg whites + 1 tbsp water
2 c bread crumbs -- fine
1 spritz vegetable cooking spray
1 qt tomato sauce
1 tbsp five spice powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsps cocoa powder
2 tsps balsamic vinegar
1 oz Parmesan cheese -- freshly grated
--or 3 tbsp nonfat Parmesan

Five Spice Powder is found in the Oriental Food section of most
supermarkets. If it is not available, use the following mixture:

1-1/2 tsps cinnamon
1/2 tsp anise
1/2 tsp ground fennel
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground Szechuan pepper or white pepper

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

Peel eggplants if you wish, and slice crosswise 1/4" thick. Sprinkle with
salt and cover with cold water for 15-20 minutes. Drain, rinse, and dry on
paper towels. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put Egg Beaters in shallow sauce bowl and cover dinner plate with bread
crumbs. Heat nonstick skillet over medium high burner and spritz with
vegetable spray. Dip eggplant slices into Egg Beaters and then into bread
crumbs to coat well and brown them in the skillet. Brown only one layer of
slices at a time, about 5 minutes on each side. Spritz the skillet again
before browning the next batch.

While the first slices are browning, pour the tomato sauce into a mixing
bowl and stir in the five spice powder, garlic powder, cocoa, and vinegar.
Pour one third of the sauce into a nonstick 9"x13" pan. As the eggplant
slices are browned, add them to the pan, overlapping each about halfway.
When they cover the bottom of the pan, pour another third of the sauce over
them. Continue to brown the remaining slices and add them to the pan in a
second layer.

Sprinkle with Parmesan or nonfat Parmesan substitute and cover with
remaining tomato sauce. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until sauce is
bubbling and eggplant is tender.


Serving Ideas : Serve with tossed salad, robust red wine, crusty bread.

NOTES : The spices I characterize as "warm spices" make this recipe an
interesting variation on the standard eggplant Parmesan, but serve it as
you would serve the traditional dish. Sodium content seems alarmingly
high, but remember that the salt is used only to draw bitter juice from the
eggplant and is rinsed away before browning.

Browse by categories