Fried Eggplant with Tomato Sauce

Eggplant is possibly my favorite vegetable. Whenever I'm craving something meaty and delicious, I usually make eggplant. It soaks up flavors so well, and it's especially good breaded and fried. I like to use Kellogg's Corn Flake Crumbs in this recipe, as it makes the eggplant super crispy and delicious. I serve it with tomato sauce (recipe below) and parmesan, and pasta on the side.

For the Eggplant:

1 large eggplant
2-4 eggs
flour
Kellogg's Corn Flake Crumbs
olive oil
salt

Wash and trim the eggplant. Slice width-wise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices (I like mine thin). Sprinkle the slices with salt and set aside. Heat a quarter to a half cup of olive oil, depending on the size of your pan, over medium heat in a sauté pan. There should be enough oil to fry the slices of eggplant, but not enough to cover them over the top. Line up three plates (it helps if they have a lip to keep the different ingredients from spilling over onto your counter) or three shallow bowls. Pour a decent amount of flour into the first dish. Crack two eggs to start in the second dish, and pour at least a half cup of the crumbs into the final dish. I like to line up the dishes with the one with the crumbs closest to my frying pan, if the kitchen allows. Salt the eggs with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and beat with a fork. By now, the oil should be hot, and you might want to drop a piece of bread in to check if it's too hot. If the bread fries and browns very quickly, turn down the heat to medium-low. Now begin the assembly line to bread your eggplant slices. First coat each slice with flour, then dip into the eggs and coat. Finally, coat each slice with the Corn Flake crumbs. Fry the eggplant slices, in batches if necessary, until golden brown on each side. Lay the slices on a paper towel to drain. Serve with tomato sauce, or use to make eggplant parmesan!

Simple, simple tomato sauce
(This is my favorite tomato sauce. I have made all different kinds with all different ingredients, but this to me is the best! Feel free to use your own favorite recipe, too.)

1/2 of one Vidalia onion, chopped
1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
pinch of brown sugar
olive oil
salt

Coat the bottom of a pan generously with olive oil. Heat over medium heat. When the oil is heated, add the onions. Do not let the onions brown; they should be cooked until translucent and soft. Once the onions have cooked through, add the can of tomatoes. Bring the sauce to a bubble, and add the sugar and salt, to taste. Let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes, or longer, and serve bubbling hot.