Oven-Baked Eggplant Parmesan

I know what I'm about to say might spark some controversy...but Italian food is the best food.  Hands down.  I crave it each and every day and probably even dream about it at night and just don't remember.  Well, yesterday, I was at the 5-mile mark on my run and had an epiphany that I wanted Eggplant Parmesan for dinner.  Because who doesn't think about what they're going eat later with the calories they're currently burning?  That's a thing, right?  Except the more I thought about it, the more I really didn't want to spend my relaxing Sunday evening babysitting 20 pieces of eggplant on a super hot and oily stove.  So I put my thinking cap on and decided to invent an easier Oven-Baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe that tastes just as good as the real deal, but is literally half the effort and saves big-time on calories since it's baked rather than fried.  YUM!

Mortar and "Pesto"

I don't know about you, but I have a mild obsession with pesto!  Seriously though...on bread, on pasta, as a marinade...the list could go on and on.  Because I crave it almost on a weekly basis, I usually end up buying those jars at the grocery store that "claim" to be pesto for a quick fix.  Sure the labels says it is, but after you've made this recipe, you will forever be a pesto snob!  I've made this recipe in a blender before, but if you have a mortar and pestle, please use it!  The process of making it definitely requires a little extra elbow grease with the mortar and pestle, but I promise it's worth it.  Did you know that the stainless steel blade in the blender actually neutralizes the flavor of the garlic?  Who wants that?!  Not this girl.  Do it the old fashioned way, and it will forever change your view of pesto!

If you don't have a mortar and pestle, it's a pretty cool gift to ask for on your birthday or Christmas because it's a splurge item that you might not necessarily buy for yourself.  In addition to pesto, its great for mashing guacamole or muddling mint and lime for mojitos.  Hmmm, I spy I a Mexican dinner night blog post in the works...