Eggplant with Marinara Sauce (serves 4 with leftover sauce)

We did not get the mid-March snow storm that is currently pummeling New England, but the temperature in Pennsylvania dropped sixty degrees in 24 hours and the wind chill has us back in the sub-zero range. So tonight for supper we had something hearty and comforting.

We both love eggplant, so we’ve been experimenting with vegan methods for preparing some of our favorites. Baba Ganoush is not too challenging. Neither is Ratatouille. But what do we do about Eggplant parmesan when we don’t do parmesan?

We kicked up the sauce with extra garlic and red pepper flakes, floured and sautéed the eggplant, and sat down to a lovely dinner. We both agreed, in fact, that we preferred the taste of the eggplant when it was not masked by the cheese. Add a nice dry red, and bon appetit! ~ Glyn and Will

Eggplant with Marinara Sauce

1 c finely chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 12oz pkg. grape tomatoes, quartered
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 small bay leaf
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)
Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add the diced tomatoes, tomatoes, tomato paste and 6oz of water. Stir to combine. Add the herbs and seasonings. Bring to a light boil, stir, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes, or as long as you like.

1 large eggplant, sliced diagonally, salted generously and drained for 45 minutes.
½ c cooking oil (mixture of olive oil and vegetable oil)
½ c gluten-free all-purpose flour
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Wipe or rinse off the salt. Lightly flour the eggplant and in small batches sauté until lightly browned and cooked through. Drain the slices on paper towels as you remove them from the oil, and keep warm in a slow oven.
Top with the marinara sauce and additional pepper.