Eggplant Lasagna

I've been making so many tasty dished with eggplant lately, it's really very exciting. This eggplant lasagna was really easy and quite delicious. Just one small eggplant can be the perfect portion for 2-4 people in one sitting. I paired this with some creamy risotto and had a delicious dinner.

Ingredients:
- 1 small eggplant
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- salt
- pepper
- dried oregano
- dried parsley
- garlic powder
- dried basil
- crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 jar tomato sauce or home made sauce 
- 3 cups peanut or vegetable oil


To Make:
Begin by slicing the eggplant down the middle and making long strips about 1/4 inch thick. Next, lay out the eggplant and sprinkle generously with salt. Arrange in a colander and cover with a paper towel. Place several heavy objects over top the eggplant to allow excess moisture to drain out. Leave for at least one hour.

In the meantime, you can start making your sauce if you have not already or you can use the store bought sauce.

To Prep the Filling: 
In a large mixing bowl, combine all cheeses and mix together. Next add in 1 tsp of the following: salt, pepper, dried oregano, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried basil and 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes. Mix well and set aside and room temperature so it's easier to spread.

Once the eggplant has drained, remove each piece and dry again with a paper towel. Do not wash off the salt but make sure the eggplant are as dry as possible.

In a deep pan, add 3 cups of peanut or vegetable oil and heat. Dip in a piece of the eggplant and if it starts to fry, then it's ready.

Gently add in 3-4 pieces of eggplant at a time and fry in the oil for 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove with tongs and allow to drain on paper towels. Repeat until all eggplant is lightly fried.

Using a small glass dish, take one ladel of sauce and spread evenly on the bottom. Line horizontally with a layer of eggplant. Next, spread the entire cheese mixture on this first layer of eggplant. Top with a thin layer of sauce. Begin layering the eggplant vertically this time and layer with a tin layer of sauce. Continue and top with a thick layer of sauce over top. Cover with tin foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving so it will stay together when you cut into it. Enjoy! 

Eggplant Roll Ups

If your an eggplant fan, then this just might be your new favorite dish. I love the soft tender eggplant, mixed with the creamy ricotta and then the light crunch of the panko... It's just heavenly. Try it for yourself, they are also fun to make and even better to eat.

Ingredients:
- 1 medium eggplant
- 2 cups ricotta cheese (light)
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (diced)
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- crushed red pepper flakes
- oregano
- bunch of fresh basil, chopped
- 2 cups panko crumbs
- Liz's Ultimate Sauce Recipe

To Make:
First, saute the onions, garlic and sundried tomatoes together until tender. In a large bowl, mix together with the parmesan cheese and the ricotta cheese. Add 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of pepper, 1/2 tsp of oregano, 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes and 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder. Mix together. Then add in  a handful of fresh chopped basil.

In a large pan, coat with olive oil and heat on medium heat. Slice the eggplant into long 1/4 inch thick strips and saute in the olive oil until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on both sides then remove from heat and cool.

Next, spread a thick layer of the cheese onto one side of the eggplant and roll up. Continue with all of the strips.

Last, sprinkle the panko onto a flat surface. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Coat the eggplant roll ups with the panko. Lastly, Grill the roll ups on all sides until golden brown.

Serve with my ultimate sauce or any other tomato sauce and top with fresh basil. ENJOY!