I love this event that Dianne over at The Whole Gang hosts every Friday.  This week the ingredient is eggplant…ooh…one of my favs!!  I buy at least 1 eggplant per week and love to eat it roasted with other veggies.  I slice the eggplant in rounds and place paper towels on each side and then pound with a frying pan to help lessen the bitterness.  I found this tip on another food blog (though I don’t remember where….I am getting old!) and it really works.  Then I slice into chunks or leave in rounds.  After they are in the shape I want, I toss in some olive oil (EVOO as Rachael Ray says), sea salt & pepper.  Then I roast in the oven at 375 or so for 20-40 minutes.  I have also grilled in place of roasting & they turn out great!  Another idea?  Cut the eggplant lengthwise and then use a the base for a burger and top with your choice of toppings & then top with another slice of eggplant. 

Here is a favorite, simple recipe I use for eggplant.

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

1 medium eggplant
1 medium zucchini
Mozzarella Cheese (or sliced fresh mozzarella)
Parmesan Cheese
Marinara Sauce (I used homemade today, but have used Prego 3 Cheese in the past)

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Slice eggplant & zucchini.
3. Spread sauce in the bottom of a glass pyrex dish. Start to layer eggplant & zucchini and cheeses with sauce. Repeat until ingredients are gone.
4. Bake at least 30 minutes. Test the eggplant with a fork, it should be soft. Broil for a couple minutes to brown up the top.

**I have seen a variation of this recipe with ricotta cheese too. That would make it more a meal, suitable for vegetarians.

Enjoy your Friday!! 🙂