I had  no idea how much I loved eggplant parm until I made this recipe yesterday. Holy cow was it good. In doing some research in how to make it I discovered that there was a shortage of recipes that were egg free.  Especially Grain AND Egg Free (I found none with those restrictions to be exact) . I had to figure out the solution..and to my luck it was quite easy.  This eggplant parm comes together quick..and it does not taste low carb. I’m not always crazy about the dairy free cheeses (especially since I now tolerate dairy quite well). But I have to say that in this particular recipe that the fake cheese tasted fantastic.. perhaps its all the spices, breading and sauce that make it less dominant. At any rate.. this Eggplant Parm is to die for. I’m making it again today (and maybe tomorrow too!)

Grain Free Eggplant Parmesan

 

• 1 medium-sized eggplant
• 1 cup blanched almond flour 
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• dash of black pepper
• 1  1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1  1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ cup milk (dairy or nondairy) 
• 3 Tablespoons starch ( tapioca, potato, or arrowroot )
• Mozzarella cheese (or daiya or other nondairy cheese of choice)
• Jar of marinara sauce of your choice. (you will only need 1 cup of sauce)

 

1. Slice eggplant into ¼ inch thick rings. Put in a colander and allow to “sweat” for 30 minutes or so by adding a handful of salt to the eggplant.
2. Once the eggplant has released some moisture, pat each slice dry with a paper towel.
3. Preheat oven to  350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
4. Make the eggplant breading: In one bowl, whisk together the milk and 3 tablespoons of starch. In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, pepper, basil, parsley, and garlic powder.
5. Bread the eggplant: Dip each slice of eggplant into the milk mixture. Then dip into the flour mixture until evenly coated.
6. After breaded, place the  slices onto the baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with oil and broil for up to 5 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. (Note: every oven is different- keep an eye on your eggplant to make sure it doesn’t burn before the 5 minutes)
7. To assemble the eggplant parmesan, use a small baking pan (I used a square pan roughly 7 1/2 inches wide).   Spread ½ cup of tomato sauce on to the bottom of the pan. Add half of the breaded eggplant slices  on top of the sauce, cover with ½ cup of cheese. Add a second layer of eggplant, another ½ cup of sauce, and top with more cheese.
8. Place in oven and bake 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Substitution Note: If almond flour if a problem for you- feel free to use another nut or seed flour of choice. To make your own flour just place nut/seed of choice into a high powdered blender and pulse until you end up with a finely ground flour.  Do not use coconut flour in this recipe.

Serves 2.

 -Brittany-