Eggplant Parmesan (gluten free)

I vaguely remember my first attempt to make eggplant parmesan. I was a blushing bride only married a few months. It was a disaster  not one of my best meals. Rich hated it. I did not own a mandolin and sliced the eggplant too thick. I didn't know eggplant needed to be coated in salt and left to sit for an hour in a Hollander either. This process rids it of the phytochemical that causes the bitter taste of eggplant and can also help prevent and cure the common cold. I ended up with a thick rubbery bitter eggplant mess. I decided never again. Until I started making this moussaka recipe and fell in love with eggplant. After going gluten free I  found a recipe I love adapted from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook from Elana's Pantry for eggplant parmesan.

Eggplant Parmesan(gluten free)

1 larger egg plant washed and sliced thin ( I use my mandolin to get even thin slices)
1& 1/2 cups of almond flour
1 tsp of sea salt
1 egg+ 2 egg whites
2 TBS of water
24 oz of pasta sauce  I used Bionaturae Tomatoes, Og, Strained, 24-Ounce (Pack of 6)
2 cups of shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese

About an hour before you want to assemble this place sliced eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt to coat slices. Leave collander in sink to sit for 1 hour. Rinse with cold water and dry with paper towels. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk egg, whites, and water together in a small bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the flour and salt together. Next heat olive oil in a large skillet. I used my oil spritz bottle to oil my pan rather than using tablespoonfuls of oil because eggplant acts like a sponge and absorbs oil quickly. Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture then into flour mixture. Place into skillet and cook each side 2-3 minutes until gold brown. Remove from skillet and place on paper towel lined platter. Scrape out bits of almond flour left in skillet. Do not rush this process and overcrowd the skillet. You will need to cook the eggplant in a few batches. Next spread 1/2 cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 pan and top with one layer of eggplant then top with 1/3 of cheese. Top with another layer of sauce eggplant, cheese, and sauce. I ended up with three layers. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Today's Workout Blip

It has been a while since I posted a workout blip in my posts and I had a great lower body circuit today and a 20 minute step mill blast. The step mill has gone from being a piece of equipment I was terrified of to one I love! Here is my step mill workout from today. If you are not comfortable going left or right only go forward. Remember safety first!

Time (minutes)	Level	Direction
20-19	1	Forward
19-18	2	Forward
18-17	3	Forward
17-16	4	Forward
16-15	5	Forward
15-14	6	Forward
14-13	6	Right
13-12	6	Left
12-11	7	Forward
11-10	7	Right
10-9	7	Left
9-8	8	Forward
8-7	8	Right
7-6	8	Left
6-5	9	Forward
5-4	9	Right
4-3	9	Left
3-2	10	Forward
2-1	5	Forward
1-0	3	Forward

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Until next time stay strong and carry on!

Brooklynn