Crispy Eggplant with Homemade Tomato-Basil Sauce

This is my take on Eggplant Parmesan. It's a little different in that I bake the eggplant instead of frying it and I don't use any parmesan cheese in the bread crumbs. I'm also using Panko instead of traditional bread crumbs. I also don't re-bake in the oven with the sauce. I want to keep the eggplant as crispy as possible.

For the Sauce:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
Splash of red wine (optional)

Make It:
Coat a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of the oil and warm over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until soft. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano  and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat up slightly to medium and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the basil, wine, and the remaining olive oil. Let simmer while you make the eggplant.

For the Eggplant:
1 eggplant
1 egg white
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup Panko
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 oz fresh mozzarella cheese

Make It:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat two baking sheets and an 8-by-11 1/2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cut eggplants crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Whisk egg whites and water in a shallow dish until frothy. Combine Panko, salt and pepper in another shallow dish. Dip the eggplant slices into the egg-white mixture, then coat with the Panko mixture. (Discard any leftover breadcrumbs and egg white.) Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, turn the eggplant slices over, and bake until crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer. When almost done, top each piece of eggplant with a teeny slice of mozzarella. Turn oven up to broil and let the cheese melt and turn bubbly and golden (about 2 minutes).

Arrange the eggplant slices so that they stack on top of each other. Spoon about 1/2 c sauce over the eggplant pieces (or as much as you desire). You can also serve spaghetti pasta on the side and more sauce over the pasta.

Today's healthy tip is.....SLEEP!
Seriously. Google sleep and weight loss. Lack of sleep increases the stimulus to consume more food and increases appetite-regulating hormones. If you’re what researchers call a short sleeper (measured by how long you sleep each night—5.5 to 6 hours or less qualifies you), you’ll have trouble losing weight, no doubt about it. In a 7-year study of 7,022 middle-aged people, Finnish researchers found that women who reported sleep problems were more likely to experience a major weight gain (defined as 11 pounds or more). (Source or...Google it and see for yourself).