Cindy Lobster Stuffed Eggplant Food

SEAFOOD-STUFFED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Arrange eggplants on large baking sheet. Pierce with fork. Broil 4 minutes per side. Scoop out eggplant pulp, leaving 1/2-inch-thick shell intact. Place eggplant pulp in heavy medium saucepan. Pour 2 cups water over. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until eggplant is very tender and liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush eggplant shells with 1 tablespoon oil. Bake until shells are tender but still hold shape, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add boiled eggplant, shrimp and cayenne; sauté until shrimp are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup breadcrumbs and crabmeat. Season with salt and pepper. Fill eggplant shells with seafood mixture. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead; refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Sprinkle stuffing with remaining 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs. Bake stuffed eggplants until heated through, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve hot.

QUICK FAKE-OUT "STUFFED" EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 475 degrees F.
• Halve 4 eggplants lengthwise. Pour about 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season the cut eggplant with salt and pepper, to taste, and arrange, cut side down, in the oil. Put in the oven and roast until tender, about 20 minutes.
• Peel the remaining eggplant and dice into 1/2-inch pieces. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Stir in the beef or lamb, the tomato paste, onions, garlic, diced eggplant and raisins. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the wine or stock, and cook until the eggplant and onions are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pine nuts and basil.
• While the meat cooks, melt the butter in small skillet over medium heat, add the bread crumbs and toast until golden. Transfer to a bowl and cool.
• Stir the parsley and cheese into the bread crumbs and add half of this mixture to the meat.
• Remove the eggplant from the oven, flip it over and transfer to a serving platter. Top each halved eggplant with a mound of stuffing and sprinkle the remaining cheesy bread crumbs over the top before serving.

TURKEY-AND-QUINOA STUFFED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Brush the cut sides of the eggplants with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on the hot baking sheet and roast until tender, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the panko and smashed garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in the cheese and half the parsley. Discard the garlic.
• Wipe out the skillet; add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion, minced garlic, herbes de Provence and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the turkey, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; cook, breaking up the meat, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the quinoa and remaining parsley. Cook until hot, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Scoop out most of the flesh from each eggplant, leaving a shell. Roughly chop the flesh and stir into the turkey mixture. Stuff the eggplant shells with the turkey mixture and top with the toasted panko. Drizzle with olive oil.

CHICKEN STUFFED WITH LOBSTER MEAT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Position rack in center.
• Remove all the meat from the lobster and roughly chop, leaving some large pieces. Set aside
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet, saute scallions for 2 to 3 minutes. Add lobster meat and wine, stir quickly to combine over high heat. Drain the mixture, reserving the liquid. Set lobster meat and scallion mixture aside. Melt remaining butter in another skillet. Add flour and cook slowly without coloring or about 5 minutes. Add reserved liquid and cream. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken. Stir lobster meat back into the mixture, add cayenne, and season to taste. Cool mixture completely.
• Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Trim any fat around edges. Place breasts, 1 at a time, between sheets of waxed paper and gently pound with a mallet until about 3/8-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Lightly oil a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Place 1/4 cup stuffing on the center of the underside of each breast. Bring the top and bottom flaps of the chicken up over the stuffing, slightly overlapping the ends, then fold up the sides to enclose the stuffing completely. Lay the packets seam side down in the pan and brush with olive oil.
• Bake until chicken is lightly browned and feels firm when pressed, 20 to 30 minutes. Slice each roll on the diagonal to serve.

STUFFED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• In a large saute pan heat oil add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add reserved chopped eggplant flesh, zucchini and red bell peppers - cook until softened. Add rice. Add white wine cook until wine has evaporated. Add tomatoes, tomato juice and simmer for about 10 minutes or until mixture has thickened and rice is starting to soften. Remove pan from heat and stir in bulgur, anchovies, olives, capers, pine nuts, oregano, thyme, mint and salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Stuff eggplant halves loosely with mixture and arrange on a lightly oiled roasting pan. Top with a mixture of breadcrumbs and Parmesan and bake for 1 hour or until eggplant and breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serve lukewarm.