Parmesan Eggplant Fries With Basil Ketchup Recipes

CRISPY BAKED PARMESAN EGGPLANT FRIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400F
• An easy way to cut your eggplant is to first slice off the ends, then cut it in half length-wise. From there, you will make "french fry" wedges from the eggplant using your knife
• After that's done, add the breadcrumbs, parmesan, and cayenne pepper to a bowl. Mix together
• In a separate bowl, beat 2 eggs
• Have a baking sheet ready to go, and start by dipping each eggplant wedge into the egg bowl, and then coat uniformly with the bread crumb mixture
• Place onto the baking sheet, and repeat for the rest of the eggplant
• Once all the eggplant wedges are coated, drizzle olive oil over them and pop into the oven for 25 minutes or until golden and crisp
• Enjoy with marinara or your favorite dipping sauce!

EGGPLANT PARMESAN WITH FRESH BASIL AND SMOKED MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Line a plate with a paper towel; place a layer of 2 or 3 slices of eggplant onto the towel. Sprinkle eggplant with sea salt. Repeat layers of eggplant sprinkled with salt until all eggplant slices are stacked. Place 2 paper towels onto the stack and place a plate on top of the towels. Lay a heavy book or can of food onto the plate to squeeze out moisture. Allow to drip for 20 minutes to 2 hours. Rinse and pat dry.
• Beat eggs with milk in a shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs into a separate bowl. Dip eggplant slices in the egg mixture and gently press into the crumbs to coat; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; fry eggplant slices in the hot oil in small batches until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
• Pour about 1/4 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and arrange a layer of eggplant slices to cover the sauce. Scatter basil and a few slices of smoked mozzarella cheese over eggplant; repeat layers, ending with a layer of sauce on top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

PARMESAN EGGPLANT FRIES WITH BASIL KETCHUP

Steps:

• For the ketchup: In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, basil, salt and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 30 minutes. Remove the garlic, cool to room temperature and refrigerate until ready to use (can be refrigerated for up to 1 week).
• For the fries: Place two racks in the upper and middle thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Insert a wire rack into a large baking sheet.
• Whisk together the flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Lightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Combine the panko and the Parmesan in another medium bowl.
• Slice off both ends of the eggplant. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and slice each half into 1/2-to-3/4-inch thick layers, then cut each layer into 1/2-inch sticks. After all of the fries are cut, drop them into the flour and lightly toss them to coat evenly. Working in batches of a few at a time, dip the floured fries into the egg and then into the panko mixture. Place the fries on the wire rack in the baking sheet, leaving an 1/8-inch space between each fry.
• Bake the fries until they are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Season the fries with the remaining salt and serve with Basil Ketchup.

MINI EGGPLANT PARM, ROASTED CHERRY TOMATO, BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• In a blender, combine the pine nuts, basil, parsley, 6 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Blend on high until smooth. (TIP: Add 2 ice cubes to the blender to reduce the heat from the motor, which will ruin the color.) Season with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container until needed.
• Slice the eggplants into 1/4-inch rounds. With a 4-inch square cookie cutter, cut out 12 portions. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Cut thin slices of mozzarella trimmed to fit the top of the eggplant slices. Set aside until needed.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• To set up a breading station, put the flour in a shallow bowl and the eggs in a second shallow bowl. In a third shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Dredge the eggplant pieces first in the flour, shaking off the excess, then in the egg, shaking off the excess again and finally in the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off the excess breadcrumbs.
• Pour canola oil into a wide-bottomed pot to a depth of 1 1/2 inches and heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil registers 350 degrees F (or use a deep fryer).
• Put the cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet and coat with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt. Roast in the oven until blistered, about 5 minutes.
• Fry the breaded eggplant cut-outs in the hot oil until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
• On a new baking sheet lined with parchment paper, arrange the eggplant pieces. Top with the mozzarella pieces. Put in the oven or under the broiler until the mozzarella is melted.
• To plate: Put a dollop of the pesto on the bottom of each plate. Place an eggplant/mozzarella piece on top and garnish with a blistered tomato. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.