Summertime Eggplant Tomato Parmesan

“One must maintain a little bittle of summer,

even in the middle of winter.” 

Henry David Thoreau

Summertime Eggplant Tomato Parmesan

No breading, frying, or sauce making.  Just fresh and easy delicious summery goodness.

Ingredients:

1 large heavy firm Eggplant

1 lb ripe Tomatoes

    (may sub tinned & add 1 tsp honey)
 1/4 cup chopped fresh Basil

4 cloves Roasted
    (or 2 of crushed) Garlic

1 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Coconut Flour 
1/4 cup Almond Flour/Meal (blanched)1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1/8 teaspoon Pepper

Directions:

Slice Eggplant into 1/4 inch thick rounds or a little thinner; peel first if you want.

Steam for 10 minutes - stand slices on end and arrange in the steamer such that the sides of all slices are exposed to steam.  Remove from steam and allow to cool for handling.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Slice Tomatoes.  Chop Basil.  Chop or crush Garlic.  Grate Parmesan.  Mix Almond Meal, Coconut Flour, Basil, Parmesan, Paprika, Salt and Pepper.

In a baking or small roasting pan, or casserole dish:  Layer par-cooked Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Parmesan mixture.  Drizzle with Olive Oil.  Repeat layers, topping with Parmesan mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes or until done.

Eat!

To make a complete dinner this is good with just about any tender simply seasoned grilled meat, a salad, and a good crusty bread for those who can imbibe in such things *sigh* (and a glass of wine to make it up to those who can't).  And, if you want to fill people up who again can eat such things, some cooked quinoa or pasta, plain or as a salad.  We actually like to serve Tomato Cucumber Salad with it - sliced fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, chopped fresh Italian parsley, salt & pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh squeezed lemon juice (optional thinly sliced red onion, chopped fresh basil, a little chopped fresh oregano).  Add Watermelon for desert and that's a Lycopene Blitz!

This recipe produces quite a bit of juice in the pan but don't worry, it somehow ends up gone.  Some of my family like it over pasta or grains or sopped up with bread.  You could put cooked quinoa or pasta or grain in the bottom of the dish before layering the ingredients and baking.

Instead of steaming you could boil the eggplant in lightly salted water for 5 minutes - bring the water to a full boil before putting the eggplant in.

Or, to enhance the flavor of the eggplant, grill or roast the slices (or, if you happen to have enough left-over grilled eggplant, use that).  Heat grill, immediately before placing it on the grill lightly brush olive oil only on the side being cooked, lightly salt and pepper, cook for 2 minutes, lightly brush uncooked side with olive oil, flip, cook 2 minutes more.  You can even grill the tomatoes.  Cut them in half and grill skin side down.  The veggies only need to be lightly cooked since they will also be baked.

If you don't have roasted garlic just use fresh, but roasted is better!

Any paprika will do, but again smoked is better.

You can omit any flour, add more to thicken the juice, or use whatever sort of flour you think would work.