Eggplant Parmigiana "Lite" With Mini-Peppers, Spinach and Olives

Today morning around 6AM I was all set to hit the gym but my mind was still sleeping.Like an automaton,I pulled out the sedan from the garage only to hear a loud screeching/scraping noise that could have woken the dead..That was because the driver-side mirror of the sedan was putting a deep dash on the SUV parked beside, as I was backing out. I almost got a heart attack then and there.Certainly this was no way to start a week.My hubby goes ballistic if I do anything to his babies.When I meant babies, I meant the vehicles.As a matter of fact, they get better pampering than me. I dreaded the moment I had to tell my hubby about this misfortune that befell his favorite SUV.I mustered courage and told him anyway.Surprisingly, he took it easy.**Sigh**.In a matter of few seconds I had set our bank balance by a few hundreds. Because I was feeling so miserable,he even went as far as to cheer me up when clearly he was the one who needed cheering.
Since he was so nice, I made one his favorite dish for lunch - Eggplant Parmigiana - to thank him.Certainly lifted his spirits. I call this a lighter version because I used very little cheese. Scroll down for the "Lite" version of this fabulous Southern Italian recipe.

Ingredients:

• Chinese Eggplants - 3, mid-sized
• Mini Peppers - 6-7
• Spinach - 1 cup,shredded, packed
• Black Olives - 2/3 cups
• Whole Wheat Bread - 2, stale
• Salt and Pepper for taste
• Marinara Sauce - 1 1/2 cups
• Olive Oil - 3 tbsp
• Parmesan Cheese - 1/3 cup, shredded
• Mozzarella Cheese - 2/3 cup

Tool:

• 9 inch Shallow baking pan/ Pie pan

Procedure:

• Grind the stale bread into a fine powder and spread it on a shallow dish.
• Halve the mini peppers, remove seeds and membranes. Spread them on a cookie sheet.
• Cut Eggplants into quarter-inch thick roundels. Spread them on the cookie sheet.
• Drizzle the Olive oil all over the veggies. 
• Sprinkle cracked pepper and salt all over them.Using hands make sure they are properly seasoned.
• Crust the eggplants with bread crumbs and line them as as single layer on the cookie sheet.Don't discard the remaining bread crumbs.

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake the Veggies for 10-12 minutes until the tips of the peppers are browned/charred.Chop the mini peppers.
• Grease the Pie pan with little oil.Add a thin layer of sauce.
• Arrange a third of the baked eggplants roundels as a single layer. Top with chopped baked mini peppers,then another third of eggplant roundels, Spinach and olives and finally with the leftover eggplant roundels Pour the remaining marinara sauce.
• Mix the leftover bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on top and then with Mozzarella.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes.
• Let it rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with finely chopped parsley. Serve warm.

Makes 4 Servings.

Enjoy!