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JennifHsieh is a space for my rambling thoughts and snaps of my everyday style. I'm based in Astoria, Queens and I share a home with my two derpy cats and my equally derpy fiancé.

Eggplant Gratin Recipe


Before I get into this recipe, I have to point out that I've never been a fan of eggplant. Ever. I think it all started when I was a little girl - I never liked the look of the eggplant dish that my mom made and the texture didn't sit well with me. I took this dislike of eggplant with me over the past fifteen years. Then one day, Jeremy's mom incorporated it strategically into a dish and you know what? It was pretty delicious. That is why when my roommate Rob wanted to make eggplant gratin, I decided why the heck not?

Ingredients:
3/4 pound eggplant, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg
1 handful of spinach
1 cup marinara sauce
salt and pepper

2 servings
45 total time (15 prep, 30 bake)



Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Slice up the eggplant into 1/2 inch or 1/4 inch slices. Beat the egg in a bowl and then soak each slice of eggplant in the egg. Take the egg-soaked eggplant and place it in the plate of bread crumbs, covering each piece generously. In the mean time, heat the olive oil in your frying pan on medium heat until it's almost smoking. At that point, fry the bread-crumb covered eggplant slices until they're golden brown on either side. Sounds delicious already! Just be sure to watch out for the oil in case it splatters!


In another small bowl, mix together the marinara sauce, the mozzarella cheese, and a dash of salt and pepper. You can add any other kinds of cheeses you want depending on our preference.

Once everything is ready, take a baking dish and place one layer of eggplant, then one layer of the mixed marinara sauce, a handful of spinach, another layer of eggplant, and a final layer of the mixed marinara sauce. Rob and I added a little bit of extra cheese to the very top (since we love our cheese).


Cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the top is melted and browned. Cut and serve warm. Noms. :)

16 comments

  1. I'm not a big veggie person but I'm trying to eat more of them. I'll have to try this recipe :) Thanks!

    www.daisyraeboutique.com
    www.kacieskloset.blogspot.com

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  2. This looks amazing! I'm going to have to give this a try (though using soy may ruin it... we'll see!).

    My Painted Bird

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  3. Aww I love eggplant! And this looks amazing--marinara and cheese?! Those are like my two favorite things together. Harmonyyyy!

    Also, Jenjen dearest, on your last post... you are SO beautiful, and even if you weren't, that's no reason to not be hard on yourself. Your blog is a reflection of you through the good times and the bad, through the amazing pictures and the not so amazing ones, and no matter what, they're gonna be a representation of yourself and you shouldn't be ashamed of that. You have more than a thousand followers and I can guarantee you that not one of them is thinking that you're not "pretty" or "up to par" with the standard "looks" of a blogger.

    PS) we all totally delete our unattractive face pics. No shame! ;)

    PPS) you should also post more pictures of your face. It's a challenge from me to you to get you blogging honestly again.

    PPPS) I lurve yuuuu <3

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  4. This looks GREAT! Now, could I get the mister to try it!?!?!

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  5. I saw your tweet about that first comment and had to rush over to first see the recipe (mmm yummm!!!) and then the comment. So strange.

    And I have to agree with Ali. I think we all spend time trying to find our best angle and we get frustrated when photos don't quite work out. They play such an important part of representing who we are to the internet world so I think it's okay to set a high standard on the photos themselves. But then it is important to remember that although the photos are representations of us, they are just images (that may be captured in bad light, or at a bad angle or in beautiful light and the perfect angle) and we shouldn't be too hard on ourselves. It takes confidence to even put yourself out there and I love seeing that confidence in bloggers.

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  6. I realize I'm commenting on the wrong post, but I really wanted to say something after reading your previous post about self-image and such.

    I was just thinking along similar lines this morning, and I so appreciate you putting yourself out there the way that you did. It was brave, and it also makes you so real and so relatable (even more so than you already are). I've been working on and off in the modeling industry for the past year, which you would think would make me feel awesome about my appearance, but all it's done is make me critical of the body I used to love. I'm short and fat by industry standards, and it's pretty common for a photographer to tell me I should lose weight. To my face.

    When you're singled out and criticized for not being (fill in the blank) enough, it gets to you. When you post photos of yourself in a public forum, it also gets to you. It's a scary thing on multiple levels. I think it's understandable to have these moments, and it's so healthy to be honest about them, to yourself and to others.

    I love fashion blogs because I can identify with the writers/photo subjects so much more than when paging through a fashion magazine. I love to see real people with real style, and it's so refreshing and so relevant to me.

    I was reading a post this morning on XO Jane that I think every woman (and many men) should read. I know you aren't specifically talking about body image here and more about general confidence, but it was really powerful. Here's the link if you're interested: http://bit.ly/Qp1cry

    You're a beautiful woman, but there are lots of those out there. More importantly, you're smart, funny, vulnerable, entertaining, creative, and authentically you. And that's pretty awesome.

    Hugs,
    Sarah

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  7. Looks so interesting!
    And must be delicious too!
    Thanks for sharing

    Corina
    www.cocorrina.com

    Win a Black & Gold Statement Necklace from my shop. Join the GIVEAWAY

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  8. wow that looks sooooo good!! your making me hungry ;)

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  9. That looks so delicious! I will have to try this recipe. Great post!!

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  10. I love this idea! totally love eggplant but I never know how to prepare it in a good way.

    www.fashioncontainer.com

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  11. Wow this looks so delicious! Eggplant has never been my favorite food, but I really want to try this!

    http://flyelephantfly.blogspot.com/

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  12. This looks yummy! I'm a not-so-big fan of eggplants but this one looks very, very delicious! :D

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