Primal Eggplant Parmesan - Grain Free, Sugar Free, Gluten Free

Tonight's dinner was delicious! We are so spoiled with our garden in the backyard - cucumber, zucchini, eggplant, jalapenos, bell peppers, watermelon, and tomatoes. I think we even have potatoes. I can't wait for the tomatoes to finally come in! (I have to say though, I am pretty sick of zucchini!)

We had a few eggplant in the fridge I wanted to cook before they went bad. I love eggplant. I'm one of those weird people that doesn't have a problem with the texture, and absolutely love the eggplant for its versatility. My husband, on the other hand, doesn't love eggplant. In fact, he was pretty sure he hated it. But tonight, I think I may have won him over.

Primal Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:
2 small or 1 large eggplant
3-4 eggs
1-2 cups almond meal (I use Trader Joe's)
1 tbsp oregano
1-2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Marinara of your choice (I used a mixture of Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic Marinara and Muir Glen Organic Italian Stewed Tomatoes)
Fresh Mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil (we had it in our garden)
Butter/coconut oil/cooking oil of your choice

Procedure:
1. Peel and slice eggplant into about 1/4 inch slices.
2.. Set up your breading station. Start by cracking eggs into a shallow/flat dish or tupperware and whisking the eggs with a fork or whisk. In another shallow dish/tupperware, mix together the almond meal, oregano, salt and pepper.
3. Start heating a large, shallow pan on medium/low heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
4. Now to start "breading"! First, dip the eggplant in the egg, making sure to evenly coat both sides. Let the excess egg drip off the eggplant, then place the eggplant in almond meal mixture. Evenly coat both sides of the eggplant.
5. Place each eggplant slice in the pan, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Brown on both sides. Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 330 degrees. You'll use the oven to ensure your eggplant is cooked all the way through and to keep it warm while you cook the remainder of the eggplant.
6. Continue to bread the rest of the eggplant slices while the first batch cooks in the pan.
7. After the first batch is browned, place the slices in a baking dish and place them in the oven. Continue to place the eggplant slices in the baking dish in the oven until you've cooked all the eggplant.
8. Once all your eggplant is cooked and in the oven, start heating your marinara sauce on the stove. Combine marinara of your choice and any additional spices. I only needed to add basil - the Roasted Garlic Marinara and Italian Stewed Tomatoes made a delicious, chunky sauce.
9. Bake the eggplant for 10 minutes, turn off your oven but leave the door closed. Leave the eggplant in there for another 5-10 minutes.
10. Slice the mozzarella into 1/4 inch or thinner slices.
11. Remove the eggplant from the oven. Layer eggplant with a slice of mozzarella in between. Top with marinara sauce, and basil for garnish.
12. Enjoy!

* I want to mention, as a disclaimer, that while I do mention this recipe is sugar free. There is naturally occurring sugar in the tomatoes. What I mean by "sugar free" is that there is no added or processed sugar in this recipe.