Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Avignon Tomato And Eggplant Casserole

A tasty and filling vegetarian main dish.



* 1 large eggplant
* salt to taste
* 1/2 cup flour
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 4 medium sized tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and diced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 tsp sugar
* 1/2 cup bread crumbs
* black pepper to taste
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 and 1/2 Tbl melted butter


Preheat oven to 375F. Remove stem and skin eggplant, and cut it crosswise into 1/2" thick slices. Lay the round slices in a single layer on a plate, sprinkle liberally with salt, and set aside for about 30 minutes to allow the salt to draw out excess moisture. Wipe salt and excess moisture from eggplant, and dredge in flour. In wide skillet,heat all but 1 Tbl oil, and fry eggplant, turning once, until browned on both sides. remove from heat. In the same skillet, heat the remaining Tbl oil and add the tomatoes, garlic, and sugar. Cook for approximately five minutes. Add 1 Tbl bread crumbs with salt and black pepper. In a casserole dish, arrange eggplant and tomatoes, beginning with eggplant on the bottom, and ending with tomatoes on the top. combine the remaining bread crumbs with the Parmesan cheese and sprinkle on top. Dribble the melted butter over the casserole. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the bread crumb and cheese topping is browned. Serves 4.

7 comments:

Ivy said...

Sounds like a wonderful recipe. Must try it.

Mary said...

Hi Chef,
this is a lovely dish. Love oven baked food. How are Christmas preparations going?
I hope you have Panettone over there.
Buon Natale!

'Chef' said...

If you try this one Ivy, please let me know how you like it!

Mary, the preparations for Christmas, and Christmas Eve (Feast of the Seven Fishes) are well under way, but I feel that time is going too quickly! It will get here whether I'm ready or not, though...
Yes, we're getting ready to make the pannetone in the next few days. I always make the tall loaves, using coffee cans as a form.

Ivy said...

Hi, Chef, unfortunately I haven't had the time yet but after the holidays it's on my list dishes to try. Shall let you know.
Miglieri auguri per felice Natale per te e la tua famiglia.
Ivy

'Chef' said...

Please let me know what you think if you try it, Ivy. Thank you for the holiday wishes!

Ivy said...

At last I tried the Avignon Tomato and Eggplant Casserole and I must say it was great. I shall tell you when I post it in my blog and of course I will have a link to your post.

'Chef' said...

I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Ivy!

ss_blog_claim=b582e7f83aad3873024404a494390582