The Joy of Cooking - How I Learned to Cook and a How-To

As many of you know - I always hated to cook. I refused to learn growing up and would always say I would have someone to cook for me. And I did, until 2 years ago. I was then forced to learn, by necessity. So I had to start slow. I began making dishes I remembered being made or simple recipes I could find. Keeping it simple really helped; recipes that only needed a few ingredients and didn't take long to make. And soon I was asking for a slow cooker and cooking utensils for Christmas!

In the last two years now, I have succeeded. Not to the point of gourmet chef, mind you. But no one has gotten sick or died from my cooking, so to me, it's a success!! I even attempted Thanksgiving Dinner last year. And, god help me, I am thinking about it again this year!

I have even began creating my own dishes that I have no recipes for. And here, I am going to share with you one of my latest concoctions. You make think I'm crazy and believe me you won't be the first, or last!! But anyway, introducing my Skillet Eggplant Parmesan. NOTE: The eggplants I am using a small, miniature eggplants that are 3 1/2-5 inches long, a good size for one to two people.

Skillet Eggplant Parmesan
Serves 2 as a side dish

4-6 Small Eggplants sliced
4 medium tomatoes diced
2 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt
Italian Seasoning

Heat skillet on medium heat. Add Olive Oil and heat. Add eggplant and cook til just starting to soften. Add tomatoes and let cook until skins have fallen off and tomatoes are mushy. Add salt and Italian Seasoning. Mix together. Add Parmesan cheese while continuously stirring. Turn heat off and serve immediately. YUMMY!

Tip: I found a glass of red wine to help while cooking. Cheers Julia! Bon Apetit!