Rebecca Nielsen's Recipe

Eggplant and Fennel Asiago Bake

Category: Vegetables

Serves/Makes: 4
Difficulty: 2
Prep/Cook Time: 35 minutes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Ingredients:

1 Eggplant (not the baby one)
1 large fennel bulb
3 extra large egg whites
1 T Garlic Olive Oil* plus more for brushing
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 t fennel seed (crushed, I use a coffee grinder)
3/4 cup shredded Asiago Cheese
2 cups pasta sauce
1/4 cup red wine
1 T Black Currant Balsamic Vinegar*

Directions:

Brush cookie sheet with garlic oil.

Rinse eggplant cut off ends. Slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. Cut fennel bulb from its stalk and root end saving a few of the frawns. Remove the outer layer if browned or bruised. Slice crosswise into 1/4 inch slices.

With an electric mixer beat egg whites and garlic oil until just soft peaks.

In another dish mix bread crumbs and crushed fennel seed.

Dip eggplant and fennel slices into the egg white mixture, let drip a couple of seconds then coat both sides in the crumb mixture. Put slices in a single layer on cookie sheet.

Bake until vegetables are golden. About 17 to 19 minutes. Turn pan half way through. Eggplant should be soft to the touch. Remove the fennel and sprinkle eggplant with 1/2 of the grated cheese and bake for another 4 minutes.

While vegetables are baking, in small sauce pan heat pasta sauce, wine and Black Currant Balsamic Vinegar. Bring to a boil for about 3 minutes.

Spoon sauce onto side plate and place 2 pieces each eggplant and fennel onto sauce. Split rest of cheese among all four plates and sprinkle top with the chopped fennel frawns.

*The garlic oil and black currant balsamic are available at The Olive Tap in Long Grove, IL.

Cooks Notes: Of course you can use regular olive oil and regular balsamic, but the special ones push this over the top. I only had eggplant and fennel in the fridge a couple months ago and worked with it until I came up with this. You are not going to believe how tender both the eggplant and fennel get. It's almost like "al dente". Not mushy, but not crunchy. It was like eating big potato chips but tastier and healthier.