Eggplant Parmesan

This is a pretty simple recipe. It's also very versatile; you can add and subtract ingredients to suit your liking. Of course the eggplant and parm need to be present. Like with my herring salad, if it's in the name, it has to be in the dish.

Serves 8. Prep time: 10 mins (+ 3 hrs for eggplant). Baking time: 35 mins.

2 medium eggplants
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup of shredded cheddar
1.5 cups of shredded parm
2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350F.

1. The first thing you need to do is peel and dice the eggplant. Since this vegetable is quite bitter by itself, it needs some tinkering with. Salt it liberally, mix well with your hands, and let it stand for about 3 hours. The best thing would be to put in on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet, because it will give off liquid that needs to be away from the eggplant.

2. Once the eggplant is ready, place it in the microwave and heat it on high for about 5-6 minutes. The pieces need to become soft and tender. You might need to heat it for longer, depending on your microwave.

3. Now you have to choose the kind of texture you're after. You can mash the eggplant, or leave it in chunks. I did minimal mashing to have a little bit of both.

4. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, parsley, shredded cheeses and your seasoning into the eggplant. Hold about 1/4 of a cup of parm for the crust. Mix with your hands. Lightly whisk the eggs together and pour them into the mixture. Work with your hands again until everything is incorporated.

5.  Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and pour in the eggplant mixture. I used a round 9'' dish. Sprinkle the top with leftover parmesan and bake for about 35 minutes.