Eggplant Bites
Need something to do on a cold and rainy day? Try out this recipe...comfort food with class!
Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed into 1" pieces
3 cups of warm water
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1 cup flour
1 tsp of dried oregano
1 cup of panko
1/2 cup of sunflower oil
1 jar of marinara (or make your own!)
1/2 cup of Parmesan Reggiano, grated
1-2 sprigs of fresh basil, remove leaves and tear into pieces
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Peel and cube eggplant into 1" pieces spread onto a baking sheet and lightly salt with sea salt to extract the water within the eggplant, let stand 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, add warm water and ground flax seeds, whisk for 2-3 minutes until mixture becomes slightly sticky to the touch. In another medium bowl add flour, dried oregano and a good amount of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, approximately 1 tsp of each. In a third medium bowl, add panko.
Create a breading station by lining up the three bowls: pick up 3-4 pieces of eggplant at a time and submerge first in flax seed mixture, then flour oregano mixture, then back into flax seed mixture and into the panko. Repeat until all eggplant pieces are breaded. Place eggplant back on baking sheet once completed. You can then cover the eggplant tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for 1-2 weeks until ready to use, or use immediately.
Heat oven to 350F. Using a medium frying pan, heat sunflower oil over medium-high heat for approximately 8-10 minutes. Oil is reading for frying when a drop of water sizzles when dropped into the oil. Add 1/3 of the breaded eggplant into the oil and use tongs to turn the eggplant so it can brown on all sides, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Remove eggplant from oil and rest on a baking sheet covered with paper towel to remove excess oil. Repeat until all eggplant pieces are golden brown. Remove paper towel and keep eggplant warm in oven.
In a medium saucepan, heat marinara sauce until it bubbles over medium heat. Remove basil leaves from stems and chop or tear into pieces. For serving, plate 1/2 cup of marinara sauce to the bottom of the plate, top with 1/4 of the eggplant bites (approximately 8 bites) and garnish with a healthy amount of Parmesan, fresh basil and freshly ground black pepper. Serves 4 people. Enjoy this comforting treat!
For a larger group serving option: add 1 tbsp of marinara to small individual plates or bowls, add 1-2 pieces of eggplant bites to a skewer and garnish with Parmesan, basil and pepper. Serves 12-16 people.
Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed into 1" pieces
3 cups of warm water
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1 cup flour
1 tsp of dried oregano
1 cup of panko
1/2 cup of sunflower oil
1 jar of marinara (or make your own!)
1/2 cup of Parmesan Reggiano, grated
1-2 sprigs of fresh basil, remove leaves and tear into pieces
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Peel and cube eggplant into 1" pieces spread onto a baking sheet and lightly salt with sea salt to extract the water within the eggplant, let stand 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, add warm water and ground flax seeds, whisk for 2-3 minutes until mixture becomes slightly sticky to the touch. In another medium bowl add flour, dried oregano and a good amount of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, approximately 1 tsp of each. In a third medium bowl, add panko.
Create a breading station by lining up the three bowls: pick up 3-4 pieces of eggplant at a time and submerge first in flax seed mixture, then flour oregano mixture, then back into flax seed mixture and into the panko. Repeat until all eggplant pieces are breaded. Place eggplant back on baking sheet once completed. You can then cover the eggplant tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for 1-2 weeks until ready to use, or use immediately.
Heat oven to 350F. Using a medium frying pan, heat sunflower oil over medium-high heat for approximately 8-10 minutes. Oil is reading for frying when a drop of water sizzles when dropped into the oil. Add 1/3 of the breaded eggplant into the oil and use tongs to turn the eggplant so it can brown on all sides, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Remove eggplant from oil and rest on a baking sheet covered with paper towel to remove excess oil. Repeat until all eggplant pieces are golden brown. Remove paper towel and keep eggplant warm in oven.In a medium saucepan, heat marinara sauce until it bubbles over medium heat. Remove basil leaves from stems and chop or tear into pieces. For serving, plate 1/2 cup of marinara sauce to the bottom of the plate, top with 1/4 of the eggplant bites (approximately 8 bites) and garnish with a healthy amount of Parmesan, fresh basil and freshly ground black pepper. Serves 4 people. Enjoy this comforting treat!
For a larger group serving option: add 1 tbsp of marinara to small individual plates or bowls, add 1-2 pieces of eggplant bites to a skewer and garnish with Parmesan, basil and pepper. Serves 12-16 people.
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