Notice how he's never looking at me? Never. Not once. He loves his mama!
Now, don't get me wrong, I miss my girls when they're not home and can't wait to squeeze them when they return. However, every now and then it's nice to have some quiet time with the one member of my family who doesn't ask for anything and never talks back. It fills me with joy when he has opportunites like these to be a crazy dog and do what he does best.
And a sleep-heavy puppy head on my arm during the quiet drive home was exactly what I needed that afternoon.
We arrived home just in time for me to slap together an eggplant parmigiana - my entry for a cook-off that evening.
My secret is using young eggplants with fewer seeds. Fewer seeds = less bitterness.
I also slice them vertically and as thinly as possible so they melt in your mouth when everything is baked together.
Wowza.We had a wonderful time catching up with old friends, and my eggplant won first place within its category. I was awarded bragging rights and a whippy-dippy lighter/flashlight/bottle-opener thingie that instantly transforms me into a domestic MacGyver.
The best part? Telling my girls all about it the next day.
xx
3 comments:
Are you willing to share the recipe? I love eggplant, but have been ordered not to make it unless it isn't mushy and doesn't taste "like eggplant." Yours sounds diving!
Of course! :)
You'll need:
5 or 6 smaller eggplants
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt (regular salt works in a pinch)
3 large eggs (I add a dash of milk to the eggs)
2-3 cups Progresso Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (or as needed)
Olive Oil (as needed)
Tomato sauce (I use any old Tomato Basil sauce. I do not make my own, shame!)
2 cups grated Parm. or Romano cheese
12 fresh Basil leaves
1.5 pounds fresh mozzarella (I use 1 and 1/3, approx.)
1. Trim stems and ends from eggplants and remove strips of peel about 1 inch wide from each.
2. Cut eggplants into 1/4"-1/2" slices vertically and place in a colander or on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt and let sit for an hour (or 35-40 min. if you're in a rush). Rinse under cool water and pat dry.
3. Whisk eggs and dash of milk in flat pan or wide bowl. Spread bread crumbs in a separate plate or over a sheet of wax paper. Dip the eggplant in the egg mixture, flipping to ensure both sides are covered evenly. Let excess egg drip back into bowl, then lay the eggplant in the bread crumbs, pressing with your hands (or a fork) and turning until bread crumbs adhere to both sides.
3. Pour anough olive oil into frying pan to fill to 1/4". Heat over medium-high heat and add as many of the eggplant slices as you can fit without touching. I always use two pans at a time. Cook until brown on both sides, turning once. Remove eggplant to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices, replenishish olive oil and breadcrumbs as needed.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. (Note: Since I use sauce out of the jar (cringe) I don't even heat it beforehand, I just spoon it right from the jar since the whole dish is going to be baking for 45 min.) Ladle enough sauce into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish to evenly coat the bottom. Sprinkle with an even layer of grated cheese and top with a layer of fried eggplant, pressing down gently Shred a faw leaves of basil over the eggplant and ladle enough sauce to coat evenly. Sprinkle an even layer of grated cheese to cover the sauce and top with a layer of mozzarella. Repeat layering as described above 2 more times, ending with a layer of sliced cheese. Drizzle sauce around the outer edges of the baking dish and sprinkle the top with the remaining grated cheese. Finish with a few decorative streaks of tomato sauce.
5. Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and poke several holes in the top. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake for an additional 15 min. Let it rest for 20 minutes, then cut and serve.
sounds like a perfect day
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