Lightened-Up Mashed Potatoes

Here is a new and original recipe from...me! Can you believe it?! In February John and I did a "greatest hits", if you will, and made some old recipes we haven't enjoyed in awhile. As such, there were no new recipes to share with you. But, with March came a reminder that spring is almost here (yay!), and it's time to start playing around in the kitchen again.

Yesterday I teased about this recipe, and today I'm happy to tell you that the secret recipe is...cauliflower! I love experimenting with lightening-up dishes, and cauliflower is a starch-lovers best friend. While these pictures look a bit "runny", that's due to the sauce from Zesty Turkey Tenderloin, which I paired with this side. I promise it's thick and creamy and John had no idea half of it was cauliflower. Love it!

Lightened-Up Mashed Potatoes
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp
Serves 4-8, depending on portions

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Well happy New Year! A little late, I know, but ... better late than never, right? Anyhoo, I hope your 2013s are off to a fantastic start, and that you had wonderful holidays. I know that I've been absent from my little corner of the blog world these last few months, and while I'd love to say "I'm back!" I just can't say that yet. I hope to be - and soon! - but for now my sporadic visits are all I can commit to. I do sincerely appreciate those who continue to visit!

That being said, I knew I had to post this recipe when a) John asked me to make it twice...in one week, and b) several people at work commented on it smelling so good as I reheated it for lunch!

So, first things first, if you don't like cauliflower, you will probably still like this soup. John is not crazy about cauliflower, but says that it was so creamy and tasted nothing like cauliflower (though we couldn't figure out what it did taste like). The best part...there is no dairy in this (unless you add a little shredded cheese at the end...so worth it for my dairy-eating friends)! Roasting the cauliflower adds an incredible flavor and texture to this soup, and you will not believe how creamy it is, without one bit of cream or milk.

Please just take my word - and the fact that I am writing a post after such a long absence just because this is so tasty! - and make this. It's super healthy, low calorie and absolutely delicious!

Creamy {Dairy-Free!} Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Serves 4-6, depending on portions

Mimi's Steak Fries

 

Hello, strangers friends!

I have clearly been enjoying my summer so much that I've neglected my little blog. I'll get into that in another post, but for now I have a great summer recipe for you!

A few weekends ago I helped John's grandma, Mimi, make these steak fries. I've had my wonderful mother-in-law's version of these for years, and I absolutely love them. Last weekend we went to the lake with some friends, and I decided to recreate Mimi's recipe. The fries were a huge hit! Even better? They are so easy to throw together and absolutely delicious.

I hope you are enjoying your summer. I've missed you all, and I would love to hear what you're up to. Until next time!

Mimi's Steak Fries
Recipe adapted from Mimi (and my Mother-in-Law Leslie!)
Yields 2 sheet pans of steak fries 

Veggie, Bacon & Cheddar Frittata

Hi friends! Boy, do I have a super delicious recipe for you. I realized we had a crazy amount of eggs in the fridge, plus tons of veggies, and I got to thinking of a frittata for some reason. I've never made one, but I figured I could do it while using up all those eggs and veggies. After lots of internet researching I finally gave up on finding a recipe, and I decided to just go with it.

The result? John walked past the kitchen while it was cooking and went, "Whoa! Come smell this! It smells gooooood!" I agreed with him, but when he "mmmm'd" about 5 times in a row while eating his first few bites, I knew I had a winner. I was quickly told I needed to make this again "very soon," and I'm looking forward to all the variations I can play with. You can make this as healthy or indulgent as you like, but it's super easy and a great way to sneak protein and veggies into your diet. Try it! And tell me if you come up with a good variation, please!

Veggie, Bacon & Cheddar Frittata
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp
Serves 3-6, depending on portions*
*add more eggs for more servings - up to 18 eggs total - plus more veggies/additions

Quinoa Chicken Fried Rice

Spoiler alert: No rice in this recipe! Just good 'ole quinoa and my first time cooking with it. Turns out? It's delicious! To be honest, I was a bit skeptical about this whole quinoa thing (apparently pronounced keen-wah). I kinda thought it was another one of those "fad" foods that were over-hyped. Although, I thought that about blood oranges and I quickly became obsessed.

Anyhoo, I saw Katie post this recipe awhile back and quickly pinned it. I even bought the quinoa right away. However I let it sit in my pantry thinking it wouldn't be that good. Oh, I was so wrong. John was too. I told him about this and he said, "Is this another thing your super healthy friends like?" (Here's looking at you Ally and Lindsey!) He was not excited about this dinner, but he trusts my cooking enough now.

He ended up yelling, "Baby! It smells gooooood!" so many times that I lost count. It did smell goooood though. So when I took my first bite I was so pleasantly surprised and happy that I immediately realized I should have made more. Next time my friends, next time. Which will probably be, oh, on Thursday.

Quinoa Chicken Fried Rice
Recipe adapted from Our Little Place and Peas and Crayons
Serves 3-4 as an entree, depending on portions

Ingredients:

*1 cup quinoa (uncooked)

*1 1/2 cups water

*4-8tsp low sodium soy sauce

*2-4 cloves of garlic, minced

*1/4 tsp garlic powder 

*2 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen veggies such as peas, carrots, and onion

*2-4 large eggs, optional (I used three)

*oil or butter for sauteeing

*S+P to taste 

*2 chicken breasts, poached and cut into bite-size pieces

 Preparation:

*Rinse quinoa, drain and allow to dry (I used this time to chop my veggies!). Once dry, toss quinoa in a pot - without water. Toast on medium heat for 1-2 minutes, allowing it to dry out a bit more (which actually keeps it moist!). Add water to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to low, cover and simmer for 12 minutes.

*While the quinoa is cooking, get your veggies ready. Saute onion and carrots in a pan until softened. (I just defrosted my peas and threw them in at the last minute). Push veggies to the side and scramble your eggs. Add garlic at the end and mix together. 

*When quinoa is ready, add it and chicken to the pan and mix well. Add garlic powder and soy sauce, plus salt and pepper to taste. Allow to fry for a couple minutes and serve immediately. 

Veggies | Poached chicken
Diced chicken | Egg and veggies

Veggies + Eggs + Garlic | All mixed up!

Dinner is served :)

Roasted Asparagus w/ Soy Sauce

This was the side I served with Ahi Tuna Steaks with Teriyaki-Soy Glaze. It was perfect because they cooked at the same temperature as the tuna. I put these in about 20 minutes before the tuna, and allowed them to finish cooking with the tuna.  Enter a perfect (and easy) side dish! Not only that, these had the ideal balance of crispness and tenderness. We loved it!

Roasted Asparagus w/ Soy Sauce
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp
Serves 2 

Ingredients:
*1 tbsp olive oil
*1 tsp soy sauce
*1/2 tbsp minced onion
*1 small bundle asparagus

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 450.

*Break off stems of asparagus. Whisk olive oil, soy sauce and minced onion in a small bowl. Place asparagus spears on a sheet pan or on a wire rack over a sheet pan (I suggest this method, with foil on the pan - easy clean up!). Brush spears with soy mixture.

*Bake for 25 minutes. Serve immediately!

Bacon-Wrapped Caramelized Asparagus

This, my friends, is delicious. Honestly I didn't think I would enjoy this as much as I did. Crispy and sweet and full of flavor. Even though the cooking time is a bit long, this is a breeze to throw together. I'm definitely going to serve this as a side at the next dinner party I host because it is so simple yet delicious.

If you've never tried asparagus (ahem, Katie!), this is definitely a great recipe to use for your first time around. You can't go wrong!

Bacon-Wrapped Caramelized Asparagus
Recipe slightly adapted from How Sweet It Is
Serves 3 (or 2 if your husband steals the last bundle goes for seconds)

Ingredients:
*1 bunch of asparagus, about 15 spears, stems removed
*3 slices thick-cut bacon
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
*1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
*1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

*Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, whisk together oils, brown sugar and garlic. Set aside.

*Bunch together 4-5 asparagus spears and tightly wrap a piece of bacon around the bundle. Place on the wire rack seam-side down and repeat. Using a pastry brush, a spoon or even your hands, brush the spears thoroughly with the oil/sugar mixture.

*Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until bacon is crispy. Serve warm.

Ready for the oven

All done! Served with salmon with creamy dijon sauce

Crispy Asparagus Spears

After making Teriyaki Salmon with Sriracha Cream Sauce once - and loving it! - I knew I had to make it again asap. I planned to make it with the equally delicious Teriyaki-Roasted Green Beans, but I didn't seal the bag properly and they were no longer good when it was time to cook. Boo.

However, that one accident turned into a new, fun and tasty side dish! Since my new-found love is roasting vegetables, I decided to roast some asparagus, but with a twist. I breaded it and then fake "fried" it by baking it in the oven! This isn't the first time I've made a baked "fried" dish (Crispy Baked "Fried" Chicken is a favorite around here!), and it certainly won't be the last.

These were great as a side, but they would be an awesome appetizer since people can snatch them up one at a time. And, according to my former etiquette teacher, you are allowed to eat asparagus with your hands and not seem rude. So there. I rest my case.

Crispy Asparagus Spears
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp
Serves 4 as a side dish or appetizer
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Ingredients:
*1 pound asparagus
*1 cup panko bread crumbs
*1 tablespoon soy sauce
*1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
*2 eggs, beaten
*recommended: your choice of dipping sauces (I suggest soy, teriyaki & sriracha cream)

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

*Pull off rough ends of asparagus. Combine eggs, teriyaki and soy sauce in a bowl or dish (I suggest using one that makes it easy to dip entire asparagus spear in it). Place panko bread crumbs in a shallow bowl or on a plate.

*Dredge the asparagus spears through the egg/soy/teriyaki mixture and then roll in the bread crumbs. Place each breaded spear on a rack on top of a pan (or a pan if you don't have a rack).

*Bake for 15-20 minutes, until bread crumbs are golden and crisp. Serve immediately with Sriracha Cream Sauce, soy or teriyaki sauce. Yum!

Ready for the oven

Crunchy spears!

served with salmon and rice or dipping sauce...yum!

Garlic & Basil-Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower

Hey friends! I've got another awesome roasted veggies recipe for you! Ever since I made the most amazing roasted green beans I've become obsessed with roasting vegetables. I love how crispy it makes the veggies, while also adding sweetness and loads of flavor to the vegetable. If you haven't tried it yet, now is the time!

I swear I was never someone who told other people how amazing vegetables are. (Jessie and Rachael can back me up!) But as I've worked toward leading a healthier life I've really enjoyed how it feels to eat healthy. I'm full longer, have more energy and my body feels great.

Now, when I wasn't eating this way I called BS (bologna sandwich) when people said all this mumbo jumbo. But give it a few weeks and I swear you'll agree. Do it with me! We can conform together and feel great about ourselves. I'm already starting to. Join me!

Forgive my pictures...I took them when they came out of the oven, but not again after I had actually set them out to eat. They were my lunch all week, and I apparently was too hungry to remember to photograph them. Whoops!

Garlic & Basil-Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp
Serves 3-6, depending on portions
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Ingredients:
*1 head broccoli, cut into florets
*1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
*1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
*1/2 tsp. salt
*1/2 tsp. minced onion
*1/2 tsp. dried basil
*1/2 tsp. garlic powder
*1/4 tsp. pepper 
*1/4 cup finely shredded cheese (I used extra-extra sharp cheddar and parmesan for maximum flavor with minimum amount of cheese) 

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

*Spread broccoli and cauliflower florets onto sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle seasonings on top. Mix on sheet pan.

*Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until tender and slightly crisp.

*Remove from the oven and sprinkle with some cheese, if you'd like. I 

Seasoned and ready to go

Yummy!

Simple Stuffed Red Peppers

Ready for a crazy easy and fast recipe?! Because here it is!

Okay, okay you're probably SO tired me posting recipes that involve stuffing something. Since this is like, four in the past two weeks? More? I'm too afraid to count. However, it's not my fault. Not totally. It's just that I've realized how amazingly easy - and quick! - it is to a make a meal that involves stuffing all the ingredients together.

This meal comes together in a flash, and is stuffed with great-for-you foods! Veggies, whole grains and lean meat. It's also super filling, thanks to all those great ingredients. I love a tasty dish that leaves you feeling good because you fed your body what it needs. And this was super tasty. Not only that, just one each was enough for John and I to feel full and satisfied. No sides needed. Perfect lazy meal.

Stuffed Red Peppers
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp
Yields 2 Stuffed Peppers
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Ingredients:
*2 red bell peppers
*3/4 cup ground turkey marinara meat sauce (or ground turkey plus marinara/tomato sauce;  
      *Vegetarian option: sub black beans for ground turkey)
*1/2 cup brown rice, cooked
*1/4 cup peas, cooked
*1/4 cup sweet corn, cooked 
*1/4 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I did parmesan and cheddar)

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

*Cut off top of red pepper. Try to cut as little as possible. Cut out pepper's ribs and pull out seeds. Trim any ribs after you've pulled out the seeds/center.

*Combine brown rice, corn, peas and turkey meat sauce in a bowl. Mix well. Spoon mixture into each bell pepper.

*Place peppers in individual ramekins or in a casserole dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

*Remove peppers and top with cheese. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden.

Trimming the ribs inside the pepper

I cooked mine in mini ramekins to keep them standing upright

the filling and the stuffed peppers

Cheesy and out of the oven

Teriyaki-Roasted Green Beans

After making Roasted Green Beans with Balsamic & Parmesan, I'm officially in love with roasted green beans. It was the first time I had roasted green beans, and I knew it wouldn't be the last. I bought fresh green beans yesterday knowing I would mix up the recipe this week. Why not? They're crispy, sweet and full of flavor.

Since I was making Teriyaki Salmon with Sriracha Sauce, I thought an Asian-inspired roasted green bean would be great. Not only that, I just bought a bottle of Teriyaki sauce and wanted to put it to more than one use.

I was not disappointed. They were the perfect compliment to the salmon, and left me feeling great after my meal. I'm definitely going to be experimenting with other versions of roasted green beans very soon. Yum!

Teriyaki-Roasted Green Beans
Recipe adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen
Serves 2-4, depending on portions
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Ingredients:
*1 lb fresh green beans
*1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*1 tsp dried ginger
*salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

*Wash green beans. Trim ends off green beans and then cut green beans in half, to create bite-size pieces. Combine teriyaki sauce and olive oil with green beans in a bowl. Mix well to coat all green beans.

*Place green beans onto a pan and spread out evenly. Cook for 20-30 minutes, turning once.

Look at those crispy, sweet green beans!

close up

dinner is served :)

Roasted Green Beans with Balsamic & Parmesan

This is now the third recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen I've tried, and I'm really enjoying her healthy recipes. I think she follows the South Beach Diet because she always makes a comment about how a recipe falls in with that. I don't know anyone that is still on that diet, but if you are I bet you'd love her site.

I made this as a side to the Stuffed Pork Tenderloin I made for my little dinner party. One of my girlfriends who came over pinned it on Pinterest, and I thought it would go perfectly with our main dish. Not only that, it was easy to have ready before they arrived, and throw into the oven before dinner. I did some modifications because of having one oven and using it for the tenderloin, but I loved how it turned out.

These were a big hit, and everyone liked how they didn't feel heavy, but were super tasty. I agreed, and I am so happy that I made extra to bring for lunch tomorrow! Crispy, crunchy, sweet green beans. Healthy and delicious. Oh...and easy! What more could you want?

On a side note, since I was making these for a dinner party I totally forgot to take pictures as I cooked! Fortunately, there was not much to photograph. Cut up green beans. Mix with two ingredients. Cook. Mix with parmesan, which leads you to the pictures I have. If you have problems, though, feel free to let me know!

Roasted Green Beans with Balsamic & Parmesan
Recipe by Kalyn's Kitchen 
Serves 4-6, depending on portions   
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Ingredients:
*1 lb fresh green beans
*1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
*1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
*2 tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees (original recipe calls for 450).

*Trim ends of beans and cut beans in half so you have bite-sized pieces.

*Put cut beans into a Ziploc bag or plastic bowl. Whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar and pour over, then squeeze bag or stir so all the beans are lightly coated with the mixture.

*Arrange on large cookie sheet, spreading them out well so beans are not crowded.

*Roast 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Turn oven up to 450 and roast for additional 10-15 minutes.

*Season beans to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper (didn't do this!), then sprinkle with finely grated parmesan. Serve hot.

Look at those!

Close up! Sweet, crispy, crunchy, with just enough cheese to add flavor but not texture or be too much. Who knew I could say that about cheese??

Stuffed Zucchini

The zucchini is stuffed with brown rice, lean ground beef, red peppers, parmesan cheese and basil, just to name a few. I thought that would be a bit of a mouthful if I put it in the title. In fact you may have looked at a long title and thought, "forget about it!" Hopefully you didn't because this was super yummy!

I told you I love zucchini! When I was searching for a great casserole recipe I also stumbled up on this little gem. Turns out, Kalyn's Kitchen has tons of great zucchini recipes. Looks like she's as crazy about them as I am. I found her recipe here, but I made a few modifications based on what we had - and err what I forgot to do while cooking.

This was filling and very healthy. It gives you something from almost every food group! Talk about a well-rounded meal. We were both full but not stuffed and uncomfortable like some dishes can make you. I will definitely be making this again!

*Note: For you vegetarians: substitute ground beef for black beans! I plan to make it that way next time. I think it will be awesome! 

Stuffed Zucchini with Ground Beef, Red Pepper, Brown Rice & Parmesan
Recipe by Kalyn's Kitchen
Yields 4 stuffed zucchini halves
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Ingredients:
*2 large or 4 small round zucchini (or use regular shaped zucchini)
*1/2 onion, chopped
*1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
*2 tsp. olive oil
*1 lb. very lean ground beef (less than 10% fat; mine had 4% fat)
*1 tsp. chopped garlic or garlic puree (from a jar; *I used 2 cloves garlic, minced)
*1/2 tsp. ground fennel seed (I did my best to "grind" my fennel seed - from spice rack!)
*1 cup cooked brown rice
*1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
*3/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
*1/4 cup chicken stock (totally forgot this step while cooking, whoops!)

Preparation:

*Preheat oven to 375. 

*Cut stem and flower ends off zucchini. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise, then using a pointed teaspoon or melon baller, scoop out and discard most of the zucchini flesh and seeds.

*Microwave zucchini 3-4 minutes on high.

*Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan and saute chopped onions and peppers until they are just starting to soften, about 5 minutes. (They will cook more in the oven, so they don't need to be fully cooked at this point.) 

*Remove onions and peppers to large mixing bowl, then add ground beef to hot pan and cook until starting to brown. When meat is about half cooked, season with ground fennel and add garlic, and continue to cook until meat is well browned, breaking it into small pieces. Remove cooked ground beef to mixing bowl.

*Add cooked brown rice, chopped basil, Parmesan cheese, and chicken stock to meat and vegetable mixture, and gently combine.

*Spray pan with nonstick spray or a light misting of olive oil. Stuff zucchini with stuffing mixture, packing in as much as you can into each zucchini, and mounding it up as high as you can, until all stuffing is used (I couldn't even use all mine! It will be lunch leftovers this week!).

*Put zucchini into roasting pan (I used a 9x9 pan), putting them close together so they hold each other stuffing-side up. Roast uncovered 20-30 minutes, until zucchini is tender-crisp, and filling is hot and slightly browned. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

scooped out zucchini

onion and pepper cooking

time to add seasoning to meat!

everything mixed up and ready for filling

the boats are ready!

with a little extra parmesan cheese on top

delicious and filling!

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

I absolutely adore zucchini and squash.  It doesn't even need to be fancied up. I can cook it on a skillet for a few minutes and eat it as my meal. Well, I picked up both zucchini and yellow squash, and I thought I might as well look for some fun new casserole to try with them.

I stumbled upon Kalyn's Kitchen, a blog I had not heard of, and found several great zucchini recipes. This recipe, and another I plan to make this week as well. Looks like I may be returning for more inspiration soon!

Anyhoo...this was so tasty!! John and I gobbled it up and we both had seconds. It was an excellent side to Poppyseed Chicken, and the best part was they could both cook in the oven at the same time. Love it!

I will definitely be making this again. In fact, probably this week, because I have some more zucchini and squash sitting in my fridge and I can't let them go to waste. :)

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake
Recipe by Kalyn's Kitchen
Serves 4-6 as a side, depending on portions
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Ingredients:
*2 medium-sized zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices
*2 medium-sized yellow squash, cut in slices or half-moon slices
*2-4 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil (or even less, depending on how much you like the flavor of basil)
*1/2 tsp. dried thyme
*3/4 tsp. garlic powder
*1/2 cup + 1/2 cup white cheese (I used white cheddar and Fontina)
*1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan
*salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

*Spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.

*Combine the sliced squash, chopped basil, dried thyme, garlic powder, and both kinds of cheese (1/2 cup Parmesan and 1/2 cup white cheese) and stir together until the veggies are coated with cheese and the herbs are well-distributed.  Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

*Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.

*When the zucchini is nearly cooked through, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 cup of grated white cheese.

*Put the dish back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and nicely browned and zucchini is fully cooked.  Serve hot.

all the ingredients ready to go

in the pan

cheesy!

Eggplant Lasagna

So I kind of did something...something that I do from time to time while cooking...Completely misread and/or accidentally omit something important from a recipe. Last time, it was with Stovetop Lasagna, which, wasn't even supposed to be stovetop lasagna. It was supposed to be lasagna soup. However, I may or may not have misread the amount of chicken broth to use, and, errr, umm...yeah...I ended up with something completely different, yet totally delicious.

This is one of those times. Those happy accidents, where, even if you completely did not follow the recipe properly, you end up coming up with something even better (or just as good, as the very least). While I'm still a little resentful that John helped me by taking pictures as I was slicing eggplant - only to tell me they were too thin after I finished slicing it all - I'm glad this recipe ended up being so tasty! While I still want to figure out a lighter way to cook the eggplant, I know this will be made again. :)

Click for more lasagna recipes on Call Me Mrs. Rapp: White Chicken Lasagna, Meat and Cheese Lasagna, Stovetop Lasagna, Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Lasagna

I adapted this from that wonderful cookbook John's mom got me: The Illustrated Kitchen Bible. However, as I mentioned above, this recipe as a happy accident and you will not find it in its entirety in the book. Below is my recipe. 

Eggplant Lasagna
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp; Adapted from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible
Yields 1 lasagna 
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Ingredients:
*2 large eggplants, cut length-wise into slices (aim for 12-14 slices total)
*1/2 cup whole wheat flour
*3 large eggs, beaten
*2 tbsp. olive oil (or more as desired/needed)
*2 2/3 cups tomato sauce (store-bought or click here for my simple tomato sauce recipe)
*8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and sliced and divided in thirds
*1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
*1/3 cup basil leaves, chopped
*salt and pepper

Preparation:
*Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 

*Create a dipping station for flour and eggs: put flour on plate and eggs in a bowl, seasoned with salt and pepper.

*One at a time, dredge each eggplant slice through flour, then egg mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl (or, like me, use your fingers to slosh off the extra).

*Heat 1/2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet. Working in batches, fry the eggplant for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden. Drain well on paper towels. (*With each batch, add 1/2 tbsp. olive oil to skillet before eggplant - - I needed 4 batches.)

*Once eggplant is done, layer the following in a casserole or lasagna dish: 2/3 cup tomato sauce, 4 eggplant slices, mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and basil. Repeat 2 times, for a total of 3 layers. After the third layer, add 2/3 cup sauce, plus remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

*Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

my thinly-sliced eggplant

please note the huge mess around me as I cut the eggplant...when I cook it is not pretty

all the eggplant slices

dredging through whole wheat flour

golden and slightly crisped on the outside

Ready for the oven!

out and ready for serving...yum!

close-up of John's big serving

and now mine! great with a side salad with simple vinaigrette

view from the side

one more shot!