Eggplant Casserole

I still am so inspired by the Josie Natori Fashion Show from Monday.  While we all have to wait until Spring for the beautiful clothing to hit stores, at least now we can be excited that it’s eggplant season! You can find them at any farmer’s market, grocery store, or even corner Korean deli. A big fan of these tasty treats, my go-to signature eggplant dish is a simple but comforting casserole. This is a perfect dish to prepare on a Sunday afternoon and keep in the fridge. It also holds well and can be eaten the next day for lunch leftovers.

Ingredients:

* 2 eggplants

* A cup of flour

* 2 beaten eggs

* A cup of panko (bread crumbs)

* A head of kale/spinach/swiss chard

* 1 chopped onion

* 2 peppers

* 2 zucchinis

* 14oz of tomato sauce

* 1/2 cup of shredded cheese

* salt and pepper as desired

Directions:

* Slice the eggplants into hefty discs

* Roast the peppers/zucchini/whatever other vegetables you want to throw in the casserole with olive oil and sea salt. 15-20 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees, or until they look soft and delicious.

* Steam the kale.

* In a pan, sautee the onion with olive oil until the onions are clear.

* Once the eggplants are sliced, create three stations: flour, beaten eggs, panko. Dip the eggplant slices in flour first (both sides), then the egg mixture, and then the panko finale.

* Then place the nicely coated eggplant on an oiled cooking pan. Once you have coated all of the eggplant slices, bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes on each side (flip when golden — around 15 minutes).

* Once the eggplant is cooked, the kale is steamed, and the veggies are roasted, you are ready to layer! The first layer is the kale!

* Then add the breaded eggplant.

* Add the roasted vegetables.

* Add tomato sauce, covering all the veggies and eggplant.

* If you have fresh herbs, such as basil or parsley, add some on top.