Main Ingredients:

2 med eggplants -- sliced 1/4" thick 1 tbsp salt 1 c Egg Beaters --or 4 egg whites + 1 tbsp water 2 c bread crumbs -- fine 1 spritz vegetable cooking spray 1 qt tomato sauce 1 tbsp five spice powder 1 tsp garlic powder 2 tsps cocoa powder 2 tsps balsamic vinegar 1 oz Parmesan cheese -- freshly grated --or 3 tbsp nonfat ParmesanFive Spice Powder is found in the Oriental Food section of mostsupermarkets. If it is not available, use the following mixture:1-1/2 tsps cinnamon1/2 tsp anise1/2 tsp ground fennel1/4 tsp ground cloves1/4 tsp ground Szechuan pepper or white pepper

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

Peel eggplants if you wish, and slice crosswise 1/4" thick. Sprinkle withsalt and cover with cold water for 15-20 minutes. Drain, rinse, and dry onpaper towels. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.Put Egg Beaters in shallow sauce bowl and cover dinner plate with breadcrumbs. Heat nonstick skillet over medium high burner and spritz withvegetable spray. Dip eggplant slices into Egg Beaters and then into breadcrumbs to coat well and brown them in the skillet. Brown only one layer ofslices at a time, about 5 minutes on each side. Spritz the skillet againbefore browning the next batch.While the first slices are browning, pour the tomato sauce into a mixingbowl and stir in the five spice powder, garlic powder, cocoa, and vinegar.Pour one third of the sauce into a nonstick 9"x13" pan. As the eggplantslices are browned, add them to the pan, overlapping each about halfway.When they cover the bottom of the pan, pour another third of the sauce overthem. Continue to brown the remaining slices and add them to the pan in asecond layer.Sprinkle with Parmesan or nonfat Parmesan substitute and cover withremaining tomato sauce. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until sauce isbubbling and eggplant is tender.Serving Ideas : Serve with tossed salad, robust red wine, crusty bread.NOTES : The spices I characterize as "warm spices" make this recipe aninteresting variation on the standard eggplant Parmesan, but serve it asyou would serve the traditional dish. Sodium content seems alarminglyhigh, but remember that the salt is used only to draw bitter juice from theeggplant and is rinsed away before browning.

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