Chelle's Eggplant

By: Chelle

This is super easy and quick.

Items needed

1 Eggplant small to med and skinny(2-3" round) rather than a wide one.
1 package/ball of fresh mozzarella
1 package sliced prosciutto (italian ham sliced paper thin)
2-3 tomatoes
1 package of fresh basil
garlic cloves or minced
1-1 1/2 cupbread crumbs (preferably italian)
1-2 eggs stirred up
1/2- 3/4 cup Parmesan or romano cheese grated.
1 box Far East parmesan cous cous
Olive oil
Cookie sheet lined with foil

Where to find this stuff:
Sams
sells the balls of fresh mozarella way cheaper than the grocery.
They also sell the sliced prosciuttto in a package in the cold case with the other italian stuff.
Kroger
Sells the fresh mozarella in the case with all the high dollar cheese.
Prosciutto is in the deli section with the high dollar salami.
Fresh basil is hanging in the produce section in clear plastic boxes.
Cous cous is in the international foods section.

DIRECTIONS
Slice the egplant into rounds about a quarter of an inch thick. Be careful not to cut them too thick cause they don't cook up as good. A typical adult will eat 2-3 rounds each so cut as many as you need to feed your crew.
Depending on how many slices you are making mix up the smaller amount of bread crumbs and parm or the larger amount. Set that aside in a shallow bowl.
Same thing with the egg use 1 or 2 depending on the amount of eggplant you are using, set that aside in a shallow bowl.
Now drag both sides of your eggplant thru the egg and then the crumb and cheese mix. Set them on a plate.
Get out a large pan to fry these puppies in. Throw enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan about a 1/16 of an inch. The eggplant will absorb a lot of the oil so you may need to add extra as you fry.
Throw about a teaspoon or 2 of the minced garlic on the hot oil and then start putting in your rounds. Let them saute on one side until they get soft in the middle and then flip them over to brown up the other side.
Put the cooked eggplant on your cookie sheet. Single layer.
Now get out your prosciutto and rip a piece about the size of each round and put it on top.
Slice up your tomatoes about 1/4 in and lay the slices on top of the prosciutto.
Now lay a whole basil leaf (or two if they are small) on top of the tomato.
Finally cut your cheese into 1/8 -1/4 inch slices and pu them on top of the basil.
turn your oven on to broil.

Whip out that box of Cous Cous and throw the stuff on a pot. Once the water is boiling and you've put the cous cous in and set it aside put your cookie sheet of stuff in the oven. Watch it close cause all you want to do it melt the cheese. Once it's melted just serve it up with the cous cous.