EGGPLANT STRATA

Preheat the oven to 400°

Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil and brush a 13x9 inch pan with some of the melted coconut oil.

Slice the eggplant into rounds about 1/2-inch think and place on baking sheets. Brush the eggplant with the remaining oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes then remove from the oven and allow to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 350° for the next stage of baking.

While the eggplant is roasting, crumble the ground pork into a large mixing bowl with your hands, then add the Italian sausage seasoning and knead until well blended.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Crumble the pork into the pan, then break up large chunks using a wooden spoon. Cook until the pork is nicely browned, about 7-10 minutes. Remove the meat to a bowl and return the pan to the stove.

Reduce the heat to medium, then add 1 tablespoon coconut oil and the garlic to the pan. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the basil. Stir to combine, increase heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

When the tomato sauce is cool, scramble the eggs in a small bowl, then blend them into the tomato sauce with a wooden spoon.

To assemble the strata: place a single layer of eggplant in the bottom of the greased 13x9-inch pan. Sprinkle half of the cooked meat on top of the eggplant, then top with 1-1/2 cups of the sauce. Make another layer of eggplant, top with the remainder of the meat and 1 cup of the sauce. Add a final layer with eggplant and spread the remaining sauce over the top.

Place the pan in the center of the over and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing and eating. Before serving, lightly brush the top of the strata with the olive oil, then sprinkle with the remaining basil.

To make a half recipe, use 1 large eggplant, half of the pork sausage, and a 9x7-ish baking dish, but make the full sauce recipe.

This is good served with spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles. For spaghetti squash, cut in half, scoop out the pulp, then place cut side down on the baking sheet used for the eggplant. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of water around the squash and roast at 375& for 30-40 minutes, until tender but not mushy. When cool, scrape out the squash strands. For zucchini noodles, use a julienne peeler to peel the zucchini into strands, then sauté a bit to heat.




Italian sausage seasoning

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