Fried Eggplant and Tilapia Towers

Fried Eggplant and Tilapia Towers
                 As shown on a bed of baked kale chips and sweet corn

The eggplant in this dish is, hands down, the most delicious thing I have ever cooked. Also, its success was a complete fluke! I ran out of rice flour and had to improvise with a different kind of flour that I had purchased a few weeks ago but had yet to ever use: coconut flour...  Who knew that eggplant and coconut would be best buds!?

Coconut flour is high in fiber and can be used to replace up to 20% of the required amount of regular flour in any recipe. Its sweet flavor lends itself well to baking cookies and cakes but I found that it gave a great balance to the salty, peppery crust on the eggplant. By frying and then baking the eggplant, you are able to achieve a crunchy coating on the outside but a creamy, melty inside.



Eggplant Ingredients: 
serves 4 
1 medium eggplant
1/2 cup all-purpose GF flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp garlic powder
pinch of red chili flakes
1 tbsp salt
coconut flour
2 eggs, beaten
canola oil


Method:

1.) Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices. Salt each side and stack them up between paper towels. Leave for at least 1 hour to remove a good amount of bitterness. The more patient you are during this step, the better your result will be!

2.) When your eggplant is ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375F and heat up your frying oil.  In a ziplock bag, combine all purpose GF flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, red chili flakes and salt.

3.) Sprinkle each slice of eggplant with coconut flour.

4.) Dip the slices in the egg, coating evenly.

5.) Put slices in the flour and cornstarch mixture one at a time and shake so as to coat evenly.

6.) Place the eggplant in the oil and fry until the outside is turning golden brown.

7.) Drain on a paper towel.

8.) Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the eggplant slices in a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes.

Fish Ingredients:
2 large fillets of tilapia, cut into 4 pieces each
paprika
salt
pepper
lemon juice


Method:
 While the eggplant is baking, prepare your tilapia by cutting each filet into 4 pieces. Season the fish with the salt, pepper and paprika and then fry in the same oil you used for the eggplant. The oil will have residue in it from the eggplant batter, but it adds a lot of extra flavor to the fish! You will know the fish is done when the outside is a golden brown and the inside is white and flaky.

Lay the fish on a paper towel as you take it out of the oil. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over each piece as you build the tower.

Building the tower:
When the eggplant is done, begin building your tower by placing a single layer of sweet corn and baked kale on the plate. Sautéed spinach would also work well if you don't have any kale on hand!
Next, stack alternating layers of eggplant and fish. (Don't forget to squeeze lemon juice onto each piece of fish for extra yumminess!) Once you have 2 pieces of fish and eggplant on each plate, top the tower with the garnish. The one I chose for this recipe is listed below, but as long as you use a bright, fresh veggie, you can't really go wrong!

Garnish: This confetti salsa is the perfect topper for this tower of fried goodness! It is fresh, bright, acidic and sweet and has no added salt, not to mention that it adds a pop of needed color. 

Dice 3 inches of cucumber, 1/4 of a red bell pepper and 5 mandarin orange segments. Add the juice of 1/4 of a lime and stir well.
Enjoy!!!!