Crispy Baked Eggplant Parmesan - Wheat-free!

Crispy baked eggplant parmesan with a tomato salad

It wasn't a rough first day being wheat-free. In fact, the first day was so delicious I may have to repeat it today - after all I do have leftovers...The eggplant, breaded in a mixture of ground golden flaxseed and pepper; the fresh mozerella balls and grape tomatoes, marinated in a homemade vinaigrette over a small salad. I mean really, who wouldn't want those leftovers? Just stick the eggplant in the oven so it will re-crisp itself. Ahhh, crispy eggplant slices: the mark of an excellent eggplant parmesan. I've tried frying and baking the slices using all types of breading: Saltine cracker crumbs, flour, whole wheat bread crumbs, soy flour, almond meal, panko bread crumbs, no breading...The list goes on, because crispy eggplant parm is the difference between an amazing eggplant parmesan and a mushy casserole. I had just about given up on baking eggplant parm because frying the slices in olive oil crisped them up nicely and baking just didn't compare. I practically expected the baked flaxmeal coating to fall short. But not only were egg-washed, breaded and peeled 1/4 inch slices crunchy, exposing soft tender eggplant "meat" inside the baked slices, it had a slightly nutty flavor that was delicious. I used two cups of two cheeses instead of the one cup of provolone that Davis called for, and it was the perfect amount of cheese for me. In addition to the 1/2 cup of fresh grated parmesan Davis called for, I used cheddar cheese on top because I ran out of the shredded moz, parm and provolone cheeses. My adapted recipe is at the end of the post.

Davis' suggestion to bake the slices on a cookie sheet for 40 minutes, turning halfway through, was spot on. I will make this dish again and again because I've finally found a healthy baked version that is better than the fried version using ground Saltines and spices (sorry grandma). Serve the dish with a salad that's going to compliment the flavors of the basil-rich tomato sauce (also an excellent idea by Davis: mixing pesto with tomato sauce). I made up a quick vinaigrette of extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic and salt and pepper. Fresh basil wouldn't hurt, but I didn't have any. Submerge the fresh mozerella balls, grape tomatoes and sundried tomatoes in the dressing for a good half hour or longer. Nestle them on bed of fresh greens, and drizzle with the dressing. You won't even miss the garlic bread.

I woke up feeling invigorated and clear-headed after that amazing meal. For breakfast, I had my old stand-by juice: carrot, apple, beet, kale, ginger and lemon juice.

Water and coffee followed. I got a slight headache a couple of hours later (wheat addiction?) so I decided to heat up some zesty Indian-spiced lunch to knock out the headache, which it did. Bombay Potatoes from Tasty Bite was a quick, easy, healthy and wheat-free meal.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan (adapted from Wheat Belly Cookbook Recipes, p. 192, Davis)

2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup ground golden flaxseeds
1/2 t pepper
2 T ground ground parmesan (optional)
2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/4" slices
Extra Virgin Olive oil to drizzle
1 jar (24 oz) Paul Newman spicy basil tomato sauce
1/2 cup basil pesto
2 cup shredded provolone and mozerella
1/2 cup fresh shredded parmesan
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice for topping (I used cheddar cheese)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet. Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture then dredge in flaxseed, pepper and parm mixture, shaking off any excess. Arrange on cookie sheet, drizzle approximately 3 T of olive oil over slices, and bake for about 40 minutes, checking after 15 minutes to see if they need flipped (they will be golden). Flip and drizzle with more olive oil, if desired. Mix tomato sauce and pesto til combined. In a 9x9 pan, spoon a thin layer of sauce on bottom and add slices to form first of two layers. Add half the sauce and cheeses, repeating layer until finishing with one cup of cheese on top. Bake an additional 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and crispy looking around edges. Serve with tomato salad with vinaigrette mentioned in post, using (roughly) 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 T mustard, salt and pepper to taste.