Eggplant Parmesan is a dish found on menus everywhere. Curiously enough, the eggplant is actually a fruit and not a vegetable. Even though it looks robust, the eggplant is fairly delicate. Buy one that weighs about 8 ounces, and be sure to use it within a day or two of purchase. As it ages, it gets bitter and the skin gets tough.

Making Eggplant Parmesan is very similar to making Chicken Cutlets except - of course – that we are using eggplant instead of chicken:

The eggplant is first “breaded” and fried.

It is then put in a baking dish on top of your favorite spaghetti sauce.

Finally, it is topped with cheese and baked in the oven for 15 minutes.

1. “Sweating” the Eggplant:

“Sweating” an eggplant means to get out any bittenerss that may have developed by making it sweat.

Start by slicing an 8-ounce eggplant in slightly larger than ¼-inch thick slices.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, over all of the slices of eggplant, being sure to salt both sides. Set the salted, sliced eggplant into a colander and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

By then the eggplant should begin to sweat. (Notice the little droplets of moisture being extracted by the salt from the surface of the eggplant.)

Remove the eggplant from the colander, and place the slices on a paper towel. With a second paper towel, blot off all the excess moisture which has formed.

2. Preparing the Cheese:

While the eggplant is resting, get the cheeses grated. The (1/4 cup of) parmesan should be finely grated.

And the (8 ounces of) mozzarella needs to get shredded.

3. Preparing the Coating:

I tried several different types of breading for this recipe.

In the photo above, the bottom left shows an attempt to fry the eggplant without first “breading” it. Unbreaded eggplant is like a sponge. It will get very “greasy” done this way.

The top right was breaded with just egg and then flour. The texture, taste and appearance were all wrong on that one as well.

The remaining two were perfect! The bottom right (my favorite) was done with flour, egg and “panko” bread crumbs which made a very crunchy coating. The top left was made with flour, egg, and dry breadcrumbs which made a tasty and very traditional coating on the eggplant.

“Italian” rather than plain-flavor panko or dry crumbs add a nice flavor to the final dish.

4. Breading the Eggplant

Put the flour, egg, and crumbs into three separate flat, rimmed dishes.

Add 1 teaspoon of water to the egg and with a fork, beat the egg and water together.

If you set everything up in a row it will be easier to do this next step. Be sure to get a plate out for the breaded eggplant.

A huge time saver is to put the flour in a plastic bag instead of just dipping it one-by-one in the rimmed dish.

The 10 slices of eggplant can all go into the bag at once. Gently shake the bag so that all the slices are coated with a fine dusting of flour.

Now, one-by-one, shake off the excess flour and place the slice of eggplant in the beaten egg.

Turn it over so that both sides get coated with the egg.

Now put the slice into the crumbs….

…and turn that over too.

Press some of the crumbs into the eggplant making sure it is completely coated. This is where an extra pair of hands would be great!

5. Frying the Eggplant:

Once the eggplant is all breaded, preheat your frying pan on medium high heat. Add 3 Tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil to the pan and let it get hot.

When you add the eggplant to the pan you should hear a serious sizzle! If you don’t, then the pan is not hot enough. Remove that one slice and let the pan heat up some more. Do not over crowd the pan.

Once the eggplant is golden brown, flip them and fry the other side. It will take about 4-5 minutes in total to brown both sides. FLIP THEM ONLY ONCE!

Place the eggplant on a plate that has been lined with a paper towel.

Before frying the second batch, clean the pan out with a paper towel and a pair of tongs.

Add the remaining 3 Tablespoons of oil to the pan and…

…fry the remaining eggplant.

6. Assembling the Eggplant Parmesan:

This recipe requires 12 ounces of spaghetti sauce. You can make your own or buy a jar of your favorite sauce.

Spread the sauce in a baking dish…

…large enough to hold the eggplant in a single layer. (A little bit of overlapping is fine.)

Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese….

…and the parmesan cheese.

Bake the Eggplant Parmesan in a preheated 425º F ( = 220º C = gas mark 7- hot) oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden and the sauce is bubbly.

Dinner’s ready!

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As spring progresses and summer advances, salads are gracing our tables more often. One way to spice things up is to explore different sorts of salad greens; another way to change it up is to create your own dressings. You COULD stock up on all sorts of mass-produced bottled stuff, but that would be expensive, take up a lot of fridge space, and may not be your healthiest option. Instead, make sure your pantry is stocked with the right ingredients, and you can whip up a new dressing every day of the week. You’ll know exactly what is going into your mouth (no nasty additives or corn syrup), and it’ll taste better, too.

One of the most basic (and versatile) types of salad dressings to make is a vinaigrette. The basic recipe is 2 or 3 parts oil to 1 part acid, plus salt (kosher salt or sea salt are the best choices for salads), pepper, and herbs to taste. A bit of
Dijon mustard or mayonnaise may also be added to make it a bit creamy and help it emulsify. But if you want to jazz it up, there are easy ways to do that!

Different types of oils will give you different tastes for the foundation of your dressing.

• Olive oil is a classic, but it might not be the flavor you’re looking for. Avocado oil is another smooth, richly flavored option
• Walnut oil (or another nut oil) is a nicely flavored option.
• Seed oils like sunflower, flaxseed, or grapeseed oil are delicious choices.
• Vegetable oil or canola oil is OK to use if you plan on having other strongly flavored ingredients.

Experimenting with different acids will change your salad dressing completely. There are several great vinegar options. An alternative to vinegars is citrus juice, like lemon, lime, grapefruit or orange juice. Any of these will give your salad lots of zing:

• Balsamic vinegar has a lovely tang and complex flavor
• White vinegar, cider vinegar, or rice wine vinegar are mild and easy to dress up with other flavours
• Sherry vinegar, white wine vinegar, or red wine vinegar
• Try fruit-flavored vinegars for a sweeter option
• Herb or chili-infused vinegars will add some kick

If you like your salad dressing to be creamy, you can also blend in one or more of these ingredients to make it smooth.

• Sour cream
• Yogurt
• Buttermilk, milk, or cream
• Mayonnaise or Avocado (can also replace the oil component for more creamy dressings)

• Dijon

  Mustard
• Tahini
• Peanut Butter
• Honey

Once your basic mix is ready, you can add other flavor components like herbs, seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, nuts, dried fruit, cheese, bacon pieces, or whatever you fancy! The worst that could happen is that it’ll taste awful, and you’ll throw it away and start over. No big deal, so experiment!

Here is a fantastic-sounding recipe for a lemon-dill dressing over a beet salad. It uses olive oil as the base, with lemon juice as the acid, and buttermilk as the cream element.

This recipe for ranch dressing uses mayonnaise, buttermilk, and sour cream as the base. Since buttermilk is acidic, no additional acid is necessary. This dressing relies heavily on herbs and seasonings for its flavor.

Here is a great list of 50 recipes for salad dressings. I challenge you to see if you can find the oil, acid, and emulsion components in each one!

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It’s easy to get in a salad rut, turning to the same kind of lettuce every time. Why not go beyond iceberg, romaine, or leaf lettuce and try some more interesting options? Spring is the perfect time to experiment with salad greens, and this post will help you get acquainted with all that leafy stuff at the grocery store.

When you purchase or harvest lettuce, you should wash or rinse it, then store it wrapped in a cloth or paper towel, then in a plastic bag, in the crisper drawer. Store lettuce away from apples, pears and bananas. These fruits release ethylene, a ripening agent which will speed the decay of the lettuce. Because of its high water content, lettuce cannot be frozen or canned for long-term storage. It should always be eaten fresh, within about 10 days of purchase or harvest.

Nutritional content varies among lettuces and greens, though most are filled with Vitamin A and potassium. With the exception of iceberg, most varieties are also a good source of Vitamin C, iron and calcium. Lettuce is also a good source of dietary fiber.

When it comes to making a salad, try creating your own mix by tossing together at least three varieties. Here’s a basic formula:

• Use a mild lettuce or green, like Boston, bibb or endive
• Another should be a crisp lettuce or green, like romaine or cabbage
• The third kind should be tart, peppery, or bitter greens, like arugula or radicchio

After your foundation of greens is mixed, you can add other goodies like carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Or you can venture into the more exciting world of salad-toppers, including edamame, beets, hearts of palm, sunflower seeds, toasted pine nuts, artichoke hearts, and more.

But wait a second. How do you tell arugula from endive? Mizuna from mesclun? Here’s a guide to recognizing and using the various greens in the produce section.

Arugula (pictured above)

Also known as: Rocket
Leaves are: Dark green and tender
Taste is: Bitter and peppery, with a slight mustard taste
Try this arugula salad with tomatoes and avocado.

Butterhead

Includes: Bibb and Boston Lettuce
Leaves are: Loosely formed heads of pale “wrinkled” leaves, smooth buttery texture
Taste is: Sweet and mild
Great on summer sandwiches!

Cabbage

Can be: green or red. Red is sometimes known as “purple cabbage”
Leaves are: crisp and crunchy
Taste is: bitter and sharp

Chard

Also known as: Swiss Chard
Leaves are: large, deep green, “wrinkled” leaves are always eaten cooked
Taste is: similar to beets, while the stalks are somewhat like celery
Try it in a summer vegetable soup

Dandelion Greens

Leaves are: tender, flat, with jagged edges
Taste is: bitter
Young dandelion leaves may be used in salads, but the larger ones taste best when they’re cooked

Endive

Leaves are: tender and smooth
Taste is: mild and bitter. The lighter the endive, the milder the flavor is.
Their spoon-like shape makes them perfect for serving crab salad or chicken salad.

Escarole

Leaves are: wide and frilly
Taste is: mild. This is a good one to add for “fluff” and texture

Frisée

Leaves are: long, wide, and curly. Usually green, but sometimes edged in red
Taste is: slightly peppery or nutty
Try it with blue cheese, walnut, and cranberry on a crostini.

Kale

Leaves are: broad and ruffled, ranging from deep green to a bluish purple
Taste is: very mild, with cabbage undertones
The site Veganyumyum has a delicious-sounding recipe for kale salad with orange-blackberry vinaigrette. Kale is also often served cooked, as in this recipe with cranberries and pine nuts.

Iceberg

Leaves are: tender, crisp, and pale-green
Taste is: mild and crunchy
Perfect for a make-ahead salad with peas

Leaf lettuce

Leaves are: either red-tipped or dark green, ruffled and tender
Taste is: mild but interesting

Lollo Rosso

Leaves are: tender and broad with ruffled red edges
Taste is: mild
Enjoy this lettuce in waffle pieces with lettuce and papaya chutney

Mesclun

The term mesclun comes from the French word for a mix of tender young salad greens. You can buy this pre-mixed in bags, or make your own blend.
Leaves are: Varied, as a mesclun could include arugula, frisée, radicchio, dandelion greens, fresh herbs, and other salad greens
Taste is: Depends on the greens included, but is usually “bitter” or peppery
This is good to mix with a milder lettuce or spinach for a great tossed salad!
Try poached eggs with pancetta and tossed mesclun

Mizuna

Leaves are: tender with a jagged shape
Taste is: pleasant peppery, somewhat mustardy flavor

Oakleaf lettuce

Leaves are: tender with crunchy stems, sometimes red, sometimes green
Taste is: mild

Radicchio

Leaves are: crisp, deep red and white
Taste is: bitter and peppery
A honey-citrus dressing is the perfect foil for radicchio’s peppery bite

Red orach

Leaves are: arrow-shaped with fuchsia undersides
Taste is: similar to spinach

Romaine

Also known as: cos
Leaves are: long green leaves, with a crunchy center vein
Taste is: bitter and succulent
The classic lettuce for a Caesar salad, or great for a taco salad

Spinach

Leaves are: tender, dark green, and sometimes wrinkled, sometimes smooth
Taste is: slightly bitter and somewhat hearty

Tat Soi

Also known as: spoon cabbage or baby bok choy
Leaves are: spoon shaped
Taste is: peppery

Watercress

Leaves are: small and dark-green on long stems
Taste is: strong and peppery
This sounds amazing: avocado and watercress salad with a soy-apple dressing

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