Foodista's Crispy Versatile Eggplant

Dan and I love fried food - how could you not? But we're also trying to eat it in moderation, in our quest to eat healthier. The eggplant dish I'm going to tell you about is a great alternative, as it looks and tastes like a crispy, fried goody except that it's not--it's actually baked and therefore a lot better for you. You could use the below coating and baking method on anything including veggies such as zucchini, butternut squash, tomatoes or even seafood and poultry. It's fast, easy and produces delicious results.

Foodista's Crispy Versatile Eggplant

Ingredients (serves 2)
1 medium eggplant sliced in thick, 1 1/2 - 2 inch circles
2 eggs
2 handfuls of Panko breadcrumbs (no substitutes)
1 clove of garlic, chopped fine
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbs of fresh parmigiano cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Beat eggs in a medium bowl until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. On a large plate, combine breadcrumbs with parsley, garlic, parmigiano cheese and salt and pepper.

Coat eggplant in egg mixture and then transfer into the breadcrumbs. Repeat until you coat all the eggplant circles. Shake off excess breadcrumbs.

Place prepared eggplant on a lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Let cool for 5 minutes and serve. You can pair the eggplant with marinara sauce or serve it plain. It's also delicious on toasted pita bread, in a sandwich, and it makes good left overs.