Easy Greek Vegetarian Stuffed Aubergineeggplant Food

EASY GREEK STUFFED EGGPLANT (PAPOUTSAKIA OR 'LITTLE SHOES'!)

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 355F/180C. Slice each eggplant in half lengthwise. On the cut side, score around the edge of each, leaving around a 1cm border. Then on the inside, score in a criss-cross pattern. Go as deep as you can without slicing through the bottom of the eggplant. This isn't as tricky as it sounds!
• Place the eggplant halves on a large baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush all over with olive oil. Turn them over so that the cut side is now down. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the flesh of the eggplant is soft.
• Meanwhile, make your meat sauce. Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan, then cook the onion for a few minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon & oregano and cook for a minute longer.
• Add the meat to the pan and brown while breaking up with a wooden spoon.
• Add the tomato puree, water and wine. Simmer the sauce until it has thickened (about 30 minutes).
• Stir in the parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
• To make the béchamel, melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then stir in the flour until you have a paste.
• Take off the heat, then stir in the milk little by little.
• Put the pan back on the heat and stir until the sauce has thickened and is just bubbling. Add about three quarters of the cheese and all of the nutmeg.
• Let cool for about five minutes, then whisk in the egg yolks (whole eggs are OK too).
• Arrange the baked eggplant (cut side up) in a 12 x 9 inch baking dish.
• Use a big metal spoon to squash down the eggplant inside the border you scored.
• Spoon some of the meat sauce inside each eggplant. It's OK if it's piled up a bit.
• Top each stuffed eggplant with a few spoonfuls of the cooled bechamel sauce. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until the bechamel sauce is golden and bubbling. Serve with a Greek salad, toasted bread and tzatziki (or Greek yoghurt), or just a nice fresh green salad.

GREEK-STYLE STUFFED EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE)

Steps:

• Halve two of the eggplants lengthwise, score there pulp deeply with a sharp knife (careful not to pierce the skins).
• With a grapefruit knife, scoop out the pulp, reserving it, and leaving 1/2-inch thick shells.
• Sprinkle the shells with salt and pepper; invert (turn over) on paper towels to drain for 30 minutes.
• Cut the reserved pulp, and the remaining whole eggplant into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Transfer to a colander; toss with salt, and let them drain for 30 minutes.
• Pat the shells dry with paper towels, brush them with 1 Tbsp oil.
• Broil them on a rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler, about 4 inches from the heat for 5 minutes, or until they are tender.
• In a skillet, heat the remaining 3 Tbsp olive oil over moderately high heat until it is hot, but not smoking.
• Saute the eggplant pieces (that have been patted dry), stirring until they are golden.
• Stir in the chopped onion and the garlic; cook over medium heat until onion is softened.
• Remove the skillet from the heat; stir in the parsley, mint, tomatoes and feta cheese, adding salt and pepper to taste; stir to combine.
• Divide the filling among the shells mounding/heaping it.
• Broil the stuffed eggplants in a large flameproof baking dish for 5 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and golden-- delicious!