Eggplant Meatballs

I'm BAAACK. Can you believe it?  I wonder if I even have anyone who cares but I am gonna give this blog another shot. :)

A couple days ago I saw someone cooking eggplant meatballs on the Today Show.  I had never heard of them before and I thought they sounded really good.  I couldn't however find the recipe on their website so I kind of just went off of what I remembered from the show.  I think they turned out really good. They are also really easy.  Give em a try.  If you do I would love to know what you think.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Eggplant
• olive oil, salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs (I used 1/2 C of italian style and 1 C plain)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 t. oregano
• 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
• 1 t. salt
• Canola oil
• marinara sauce
• spagetti

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut eggplant in half, place on cookie sheet and brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 35 minutes. 

In the meantime combine breadcrumbs, eggs, parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, garlic and salt in a mixing bowl. When eggplant is finished scrape it out of its skin and combine it with other ingredients.  Mix well. 

In a heavy sauce pan heat about an inch deep of canola oil on medium high heat.  Roll up mixture into balls and place into the oil.  Fry each side in oil for about 3 minutes or until brown (it will depend on the heat of your oil and how dark/crispy you want them).  Place eggplant balls onto paper towels to drain for a minute and then place into hot marinara sauce.  Serve over spagetti. (I am also going to enjoy an eggplant meatball sandwich tomorrow for lunch!)

Here is the eggplant oiled, salted and peppered ready to go into the oven. 

 Just out of the oven.

Scraping the eggplant out of its skin.

My bowl of ingredients.

The ingredients combined with the eggplant.  I know, doesn't that just look so appetizing?

Frying the balls.  I like em dark.

 Place them in the marinara sauce and enjoy!
By the way, creating this post made me crave them so I went and ate a cold one out of the fridge and it was really good!  I can't wait for my meatball sandwich tomorrow.