Eggplant Parmesan

   It has been a very busy week with my boys all starting school again.This year,I am homeschooling one of them,so I do not have as much "me" time throughout the day.Please forgive me if my posts appear sporadically..
    Here is a great recipe for eggplant parmesan.I used the fresh eggplant from my son Timmy's garden,and it turned out wonderful.In this recipe,the eggplant is brushed with a delicious balsamic mixture,and is not fried. It adds amazing flavor,and cuts a few calories too!

Sauce Ingredients:
1 large onion,chopped
2 cloves of garlic.minced
4 Tbsp. dry white wine
1- 14 oz can of either stewed tomatoes,or crushed tomatoes
1-2 fresh plum tomatoes,seeded and chopped
fresh basil,chopped ( I used about 10 leaves)
olive oil
   Saute the onion in about 1 Tbsp. of olive oil,and 2 Tbsp of the wine for about 4-5 minutes.Add the garlic.Saute for one minute more. Add the tomatoes,and the remaining 2 Tbsp. of wine. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat,and add some fresh,chopped basil.

Eggplant Ingredients:
1-1/2 - 2 lbs of eggplant,cut into 1/2 inch slices
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 oz. mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. fresh parmesan

   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay out the slices of eggplant on a parchment covered cookie sheet(you may need two).In a small bowl, mix together the balsamic vinegar,olive oil,sugar,pepper and oregano.Mix well,and brush onto the eggplant slices. Bake for about 5-6 minutes ,until the slices can easily be pierced with a fork.

   Once the eggplant is tender,layer the ingredients into a baking dish in the following order, a thin layer of the sauce, a layer of eggplant,another thin layer of sauce,half the mozzarella.Then ,repeat with the remaining ingredients. Top with the parmesan,and more mozzarella if desired,along with some additional freshly chopped basil. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes,until the top is golden and bubbly.Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!!

*** Feel free to add more cheese if desired.