Last night I was searching for inspiration—eggplant inspiration. On Facebook I asked you guys, “What is your favorite thing to do with eggplant?” You all made my mouth water with your eggplant recipes, but what really sounded good to me was fried eggplant. However, I’m not skilled at frying (thank goodness, or I would do it all the time). It dawned on me that I could faux fry the eggplant exactly like I do with my chicken strips . The faux fried eggplant came out so great, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought to do it before. In fact, now that I think about it, I wonder what else I could faux fry? Zucchini would be really good. Okra too…

Gluten-free Faux Fried Eggplant

3 eggs
2 eggplants, peeled*
1.5 cups almond meal flour
1/2 cup Quinoa Flake flour**(I’m sure brown rice flour or more almond flour would also work)
1/2 tsp Herbamare
1/2 tsp garlic powder

*My eggplants were about 5 inches wide at the widest part. (I don’t like eggplant skin. If you do, then leave it on.)

**I don’t like quinoa flour, but I love quinoa flakes. I think the flakes taste nothing like the flour. So I blend my own quinoa flake flour in my Blendtec or Magic Bullet, and it only takes a few seconds. You can also use a coffee grinder.

Directions:

1. Slice the eggplant crosswise in about half inch slices
2. Lay a cooling rack on top of a kitchen towel.
3. Place the eggplant slices on the rack and sprinkle them with sea salt.
4. Wait about 15 minutes, then turn them over and sprinkle the other side with sea salt as well. Let them sit on the rack for another 45 minutes.
5. Remove the slices from the rack and press them between two dry kitchen towels to remove as much moisture as possible.
6. Add the eggs to a bowl and whisk. Set aside.
7. Add almond flour, quinoa flake flour, Herbamare, and garlic powder to another bowl. Whisk to combine.
8. Place the cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet.
9. Dip the eggplant slices into the egg, then press them into the flour on both sides. (I pressed them down fairly hard to get a good crust.)
   Place them on the rack which is on top of the cookie sheet.
10. Bake at 450 for about 20 minutes. (I baked them until they were starting to brown, so they had some nice crispy parts. Just keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.)
11. Let them cool for a few minutes, then serve.

I thought they were so awesome with just a drizzle of olive oil, but you can add sauce if you like, or top them with a pinch a Daiya the last few minutes of roasting.

♥, Kelly