Simply Baked Eggplant (Aubergine)

Chef Sunshine's Note:

This week was the first time I had eaten eggplant. I had no idea how to cook it, and even came on *zaar looking for recipes, but couldn't find a simple throw-together recipe that was low fat and still good. So i just came up with my own.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 1

• 1 eggplant, sliced, and also sliced into quarters
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup flour
• ground black pepper (lots)
• 1 cup spaghetti sauce ("Ragu-Tomato, Garlic, Onion", or pizza sauce, or any type of spaghetti sauce, but one with tomatoes)

Directions:

1. Slice the eggplant into medium-thin slices (*not paper thin, but not thick either*).
2. Mix the cornmeal and flour and lots of pepper for taste, so that the mix looks speckled thickly.
3. Add sliced eggplant to flour mix and coat both sides well. Do this with about 10 slices (or more if really hungry).
4. Spray the bottom of a long casserole dish(or pan) with some fat free pan spray.
5. Lay the battered eggplant slices into single layers in dish/pan.
6. Cut some slices of eggplant into fourths. Don't dip these into the batter, just lay these on the other side of the casserole dish.
7. Bake at 400-425 for about 20-25 minutes, being sure to flip the eggplant slices over halfway through.
8. Heat up the Tomato, Garlic, Onion Ragu spaghetti sauce(best for this recipe), or pizza sauce, or any type of spaghetti sauce, but one with tomatoes if possible, in a bowl in microwave until hot. Use this as a "dip".
9. But I think the simply baked eggplant is good plain, too.
10. (I alternate eating the non-battered, then take a bite of the battered slices, yummy! This kind of tastes like fried green tomatoes).

Reviews

[Jeffsmom]

I agree that 425 was a little high for that length of time.

[sugarpea]

I'm so impressed, Chef Sunshine, that you created this recipe on your own while never having eaten the main ingredient. This is delicious. Dh gobbled it up. It reminded me a bit of sauced pizza crust. Next time I'll decrease the oven temp to 400° and bake for only 20 minutes as some of my eggplant got a little crispy at 425° for 25 minutes.