All of this special friend and family time made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It made me comfortable to know that "home" is still homey. So now that my body has some-what recovered and is no longer craving fried drunk food, I'm ready to make my menu for the week. Comfort Food.
Comfort food means different things to different people. Growing up, comfort food to me was always cheesy or starchy or both. So this week, the week of recovery, we will be enjoying eggplant parmesan and tacos. Both recipes are adapted recipes so they will be posted along with meat-inclusive options. I offered my husband chicken parmesan and beef tacos, but he said he had plenty of meat the past few days and would be perfectly content with veg options. How easy is he? I'm glad the rehearsal dinner and wedding festivities kept his meat appetite fulfilled! But I will include detailed notes for those of you who may be curious how to adapt the menu to please both vegs and carnivores.
So off to the store I go. Tonight: Oven-Baked Eggplant Parmesan. The recipe will be posted tonight along with pics.
Recipe as promised...the store had a bad eggplant shipment (I know it is not in season, but it is Florida and there is usually an abundance of eggplant) so I had to improvise and use tofu instead. It was still delicious!
Oven Baked Parmesan:
Ingredients:
1 to 2 pounds Sliced Eggplant, Chicken, or Extra firm tofu (pressed and sliced)
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
1 to 2 teaspoons crushed cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon salt
1 16 to 24 oz jar store-bought marinara sauce (or home-made if ambitious)
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn
1 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese
Dried Spaghetti
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
Combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, dried spices, cayenne pepper and salt in a shallow plate. Dredge the eggplant/chicken/tofu in the melted butter then cover with the breadcrumb mixture. Place on a greased shallow baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until a crispy brown color (or until done if using chicken).
Spray an 8x8 glass casserole with cooking spray. Spoon enough marinara sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Place the eggplant/chicken/tofu on the sauce. Layer with torn basil leaves, more sauce, and cheese. Repeat the layers.
Place the assembly in the oven for about 15 minutes or until cheese has melted and the mixture is bubbly. While waiting on mixture to cook, prepare spaghetti according to package directions.
Assemble the dish with the eggplant/chicken/tofu parmesan placed atop spaghetti. Serve with side salad and bread. Enjoy!
