Monday, May 9, 2011

Labor Inducing Eggplant Parmigiana


I was racking my brain for a post that wasn't baby related but honestly, that just seems silly right now. My every waking moment revolves around this little guy and I'm perfectly happy with that at the moment. I can't believe he'll be two weeks old tomorrow. It's crazy to think that I could still be pregnant with him right now.

I was so ready to have him the week I started going into labor. I goggled labor inducing tricks and read tons on random forums. Castor oil was not an option though, I only tried the wives' tales about food. Since I figured no real damage could be done by food that I had eaten before in the pregnancy. I tried spicy foods, cumin and pineapple. What I think really did the trick was the Eggplant Parmigiana.

I came across this article: Eggplant Parmigiana Alla Scalini's
According to the article 300 pregnant women have eaten this Eggplant at Scalini's and gone into labor within 48 hours. If the women bought the parmigiana and didn't go into labor they get a gift certificate for a free meal. Win-win.
Even if you aren't preggo, this recipe is so delicious. I froze an extra pan of it and I can't wait to break that out once our lovely friends aren't bringing us dinner anymore.
Ingredients


  • 3 medium sized eggplants

  • 1 cup flour

  • 6 eggs, beaten

  • 4 cups fine Italian bread crumbs, seasoned

  • Olive oil for sauteing

  • 8 cups of marinara sauce (recipe below)

  • 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1 1/2 pounds of mozzarella cheese, shredded

  • 2 cups of ricotta cheese


  • Directions

    1. After you wash the eggplant, slice them into 1/4-inch thick slices. You may choose to peel the eggplant before you slice it. However, you may want to leave the skin on since it contains a lot of vitamins.

    2. Place the eggplant slices on a layer of paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt, then cover with another layer of paper towels and hold it down with something heavy to drain the excess moisture. Let them sit for about an hour.

    3. Working with one slice of eggplant at a time, dust with flour, dip in beaten eggs, then coat well with breadcrumbs.

    4. Saute in preheated olive oil on both sides until golden brown.

    5. In baking dish, alternate layers of marinara sauce, eggplant slices, ricotta, parmesan and Romano cheeses, until you fill the baking dish, about 1/8 inch from the top. Cover with shredded mozzarella cheese, and bake for 25 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.



    Scalini's Marinara Sauce

    Ingredients


  • 2 Tablespoons of chopped garlic

  • 3 Tablespoons of olive oil

  • 8 cups chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)

  • 1 cup onions, chopped

  • 1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley

  • 1 teaspoon oregano

  • 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

  • 1/8 cup of fresh chopped sweet basil

  • Pinch of thyme

  • Pinch of rosemary

  • One teaspoon salt

  • One teaspoon black pepper


  • Directions

    1. Lightly saute the onions in olive oil in large pot for a few minutes.

    2. Add garlic and saute another minute.

    3. Add tomatoes and bring sauce to a boil, then turn heat low.

    4. Add remaining ingredients, stir, cover and let simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.

    Recipe courtesy of John Bogino, Scalini's Italian Restaurant, Smyrna, Ga.
    www.scalinis.com

     
    So, the day before I gave birth I had those false labor contractions for a few hours in the morning. Then I went to the market, bought all these ingredients and got cooking. I don't know if it was the delicious eggplant that put me into labor that night or the 3 hours cooking in a hot kitchen. Either way, I gave birth and start to finish my labor was 12 hours. 

    I really wouldn't recommend eating a huge meal when you know you might give birth soon. Let's just say it wasn't pretty or delicious the second time...

    1 comment:

    1. Haha I love all the little tips and tricks for inducing birth. When my cousin was pregnant, she asked my mom for a foot-rub, and was in labor the next night... After talking to the doctors, they found out that feet-rubbing is a fabled way of inducing birth.

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