Fried Eggplant Sandwich with Pop-Soul

Eggplants are fantastic and so versatile. Similar to mushrooms, they provide a texture that can easily be used in place of meat. This is an easy recipe for a solid sandwich that has a slight “comfort-food” vibe, but isn’t an incredibly heavy meal either. You can dress it up with tons of veggies to give it a fresher, lighter taste…or go further down the path of comfort fooding and add some caramelized onions, mushrooms, and extra cheese.

The Grooves

I wanted to pull together a playlist that complimented the combination of the fried “comfort” food aspect and the crisp, refreshing side of the sandwich. Pop-soul seemed to be a great fit. The organically raw and emotional vocals have a soothing, comforting vibe while the upbeat and sometimes dance-able rhythms keep it lighter and less intense. Also, with soul re-emerging yet again into pop music, it’s pretty cool to listen and compare original soul, such as Motown, with the newer soul – or at least heavily soul-influenced – acts that have been infiltrating the modern music scene within the last few years.

The Grub

If you are an avid GWG follower, you may have noticed the “sandwich scan” photo of this particular recipe from our Instagram. I’ve been meaning to post this for a while and this seemed like a good time. We’re starting to crave those warmer and more comforting meals with the temps dropping, but some of us are still trying to eat relatively light before we start gorging ourselves over the holidays….which are starting tomorrow for a lot of us.

Ingredients (for 3-4 ‘wichs):

• 1 medium eggplant
• 2 large eggs
• 2-3 Tbs milk
• 1.5 cups breadcrumbs
• 1.5 cups flour
• 2 tsp cayenne
• 3 tsp turmeric
• A few pinches of salt and pepper
• oil for frying
• mayo
• bread (6-8 slices)
• cheese of your choosing
• fresh veggies for toppings (I used sliced cucumber, chopped tomatoes, and lettuce)

Directions:

1. Slice eggplant in thin strips longways and remove the skin if desired
2. Place slices in warm salt water after slicing for 5-10 minutes*
3. While slices are soaking, pour flour into a shallow bowl, whip eggs and milk in another shallow bowl, and mix breadcrumbs with spices in another shallow bowl
4. Remove eggplant slices from water and pat dry.
5. Bread eggplant strips by dipping into flour, then egg wash, and then breadcrumbs. Set breaded pieces aside on plate or tray for frying.
6. Heat oil in skillet and fry breaded strips until golden brown. Whenever I’m frying anything, I layer the items in between paper towels to catch some of the excess grease.
7. Toast your bread, spread on mayo or other sauce of your choosing, stack up the strips,
   cheese, and veggies.

*This is supposed to help lower the alkaloid levels found in Nightshade veggies. Cooking helps as well. If you’re not sure whether or not your guests are sensitive to nightshade, be sure to remove ALL of the skin.