Stuffed Baby Eggplant Food

STUFFED BABY EGGPLANTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the eggplants in half, and use a sharp knife to cut around the outer edge leaving a small border without piercing the skin.
• Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, and finely chop it.
• Place the eggplants cut side up on a baking sheet.
• In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat, and then cook the onion until it is translucent, and 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic and eggplant flesh, and continue to cook until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and cook another 5 minutes until the mixture is thick.
• Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the eggs, cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Spoon the filling in to the eggplant shells, and top with the grated cheese.
• Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
• Serve at room temperature.

STUFFED BABY EGGPLANTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, add oil. Add the onions, garlic, and salt. Sweat for 3 minutes or until vegetables are translucent and aromatic. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 8 hours over low heat, stirring occasionally. Check seasoning.
• Cut eggplants in half, scoop out seeds, and sprinkle with salt, cut side up. Place the eggplant halves on a baking sheet and let sit for 1 hour. Place 1 1/2 ounces of sausage in each eggplant half. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Top each eggplant with some tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella. Place back into oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.

STUFFED BABY EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Prepare eggplants by slicing them in half lengthwise.
• Scoop out the inside of the eggplant and cut into cubes.
• Lay cubes on several paper towels and squeeze any moisture out of them by hand.
• Boil shells in a large stockpot for 2 minutes and allow to cool.
• Place a tablespoon of olive oil in a hot skillet. Add eggplant, onion, and garlic and saute.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir the saute mixture into the remaining ingredients and combine well. Add a second tablespoon of water if mixture is too dry. If mixture is too loose, add more bread crumbs.
• Fill the cooled eggplant shells with the mixture.
• Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a hot skillet. Place eggplants top side down in skillet and brown over medium heat.
• Place browned stuffed baby eggplants in a baking dish.
• Drizzle with remaining olive oil and bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

MOM'S STUFFED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the eggplant in half and scoop out the center, leaving enough meat inside the skin so that it holds its shape when baked. Boil the scooped-out center part until very soft, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the seasoned ground beef to the pan and saute until all of its liquid is evaporated and the beef begins to brown slightly. Drain the beef, removing the extra, unnecessary fat. Let cool briefly and chop the cooked beef so that there are no large chunks of meat. In another medium saute pan over medium heat add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute the onions, peppers and garlic together.
• In a bowl mix together the cooked eggplant, vegetables, cooked beef, herbs, 1 cup of the cheese, bread crumbs, and the egg.
• Fill the scooped-out eggplant halves with this mixture, dividing it evenly among the 2 halves.
• Top with chopped tomatoes and the remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese, season with salt and pepper, place on an oiled oven tray or baking dish, and bake for 50 minutes in preheated oven. Let cool briefly, slice widthwise and serve.

STUFFED EGGPLANT WITH WALNUTS

Steps:

• Put the bulgur in a bowl and add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 cup boiling water. Cover and let sit until the bulgur is tender and the water is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the eggplant halves cut-side down in the skillet and season with salt, then place another skillet on top and weigh it down with large cans. Cook until the eggplant is soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Uncover, flip the eggplant and season with salt, then cover, weigh down and cook about 5 more minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool.
• Pulse the walnuts, onion, celery and garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add the cilantro, tarragon and coriander and pulse until smooth. Add the bulgur and vinegar and pulse once or twice to combine. Add 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Spread the bulgur mixture evenly on the cut sides of 3 eggplant halves; sandwich with the remaining halves. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Slice the stuffed eggplant into pieces, sprinkle with the feta and drizzle with olive oil.

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.

STUFFED BABY EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Using a paring knife, cut a wedge out of each eggplant, from stem to base, just large enough to stick a spoon inside and scoop out the flesh inside. Discard the flesh you scoop out.
• Coat a large saute pan with the oil and place over medium flame. Lightly fry the eggplants on all sides, until slightly charred and blistered; remove to a platter and set aside.
• Return the pan to the heat and add the shallots and garlic, saute for 5 minutes, until soft and golden brown. Add the ground lamb to the pan and brown the meat well, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomatoes, combine well, and let simmer for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Toss in a couple of handfuls of the parsley, the mint, and lemon juice; continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the stuffing cool slightly. Using a spoon, stuff the lamb filling into the eggplants until they feel full, but not overly packed.
• Arrange the eggplants in a single layer in a large saucepan, pour the chicken stock over them and lay the lemon slices on top of each eggplant, drizzle with some more olive oil. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until fork tender. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

NORTH AFRICAN BULGAR STUFFED BABY EGGPLANT

Steps:

• "Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
• Cut each baby eggplant in half, keeping the stem end intact and going straight to the tail tip. Use one tablespoon of oil to brush liberally over the eggplants, both front and back, before laying them cut side up on a baking sheet. Tuck the oiled eggplant halves in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until the flesh is soft and easily pierced with a fork but the bodies have not collapsed.
• While the eggplant are baking up, it's a perfect time to toast the pine nuts. Spread the nuts out on an ungreased baking sheet in a single layer. Tuck them in the oven for 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through. When the pine nuts are mostly golden brown (some may be darker and that is absolutely okay) they are toasted and ready. Shake the nuts off the pan and into a bowl so that they do not continue cooking with the ambient heat.
• Cooking the bulghar is as easy as can be. Put it into a heatproof container and pour the boiling water over top. Sprinkle liberally with salt (about 1/2 tsp) and let it stand for 15 minutes. The grain will start to soak up that hot, salty water and rehydrate, becoming tender and fluffy. You could let the bulghar soak for as long as 30 minutes, but I like to drain it after 15 so that it is still a touch al dente. After all, when the bulgar is added to the tomato mixture and baked it will continue to soak up moisture so it shouldn't be mushy soft.
• The nuts are toasted, the eggplant is baking, and the bulghar is soaking. Life is pretty good.
• Chop the onions into a small, thin mince and finely mince the garlic. Put the aromatics in a large saucepan, along with the remaining two tablespoons of oil, and set it over medium heat. Starting the onions and garlic off in a cold pan will encourage them to deepen and sweeten without as much risk of burning.
• After 5-7 minutes when the onions are a pale gold color add the diced tomatoes, honey and dried spices. Okay, so I totally didn't use diced tomatoes here. I used whole canned tomatoes, because I love to squish them into a pulp in my hands before adding them to the pan. We all have our quirky little habits, and that just happens to be one of mine. Give this a stir and turn the heat down slightly to medium low. You will need to cook the tomato mixture for at least 7-10 minutes, stirring fairly regularly, or until the liquid has reduced significantly in the pan.
• Are the eggplants soft? As soon as they are cool enough to handle, use a small paring knife to score all around the edges of the eggplant, leaving a skin which is about 1/4″ thick. Carefully scoop out the flesh (I like to use a melon-baller to do this) which needs to be given a good chop.
• When the tomato mixture has thickened enough that you can run a spoon through it and still see the bottom of the pan 5 seconds later, add the chopped eggplant flesh and stir it through. Let this cook for a minute or two so that the flavors can combine.
• Finely chop the mint and parsley leaves. There should be slightly more mint than parsley, but be generous with both. Reserve one tablespoon of the chopped herbs to use as garnish.
• Take the pan off the heat before adding the bulgar (which has been drained and squeezed dry) to the tomatoes, along with the pine nuts, mint and parsley. Stir everything together, squeeze in the juice of 1/2 lemon, and season quite generously with salt and pepper. You can't afford to be shy with the seasoning in a bulgar dish.
• Spoon the stuffing into your gutted eggplant halves, pressing it together and really mounding it inches Your cupped palm is the best tool that you could have to keep the mixture in a pseudo-dome shape as you press it into the shells.
• Bake the eggplant for 15-20 minutes, or until they are warmed through and the tops are just starting to brown. Sprinkle the eggplant with your reserved chopped parsley and mint, and serve with a bowl of black olives and some fresh pita bread on the side.
• The sultry cinnamon and allspice, combined with smoky nutmeg and just a mere whiff of heat from the chili are enough to elevate a simple bulgar and tomato stuffing into the realm of the exotic in a non-intimidating way.
• Light, clean, healthy and vegetarian dinners are always easier than I expect. In fact, I'm rather looking forward to putting the chicken breasts aside again a few days from now.".

STUFFED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Scoop out the flesh of the eggplant, chop, and reserve. Season shells with salt and pepper, and coat with some olive oil; set aside.
• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Saute sausage and garlic until sausage is evenly brown. Stir in the reserved chopped eggplant. Season with parsley, salt and pepper. Pour in wine, and cook 5 minutes. Mix in the bread crumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. If mixture is dry, stir in more olive oil. Stuff mixture into eggplant shells, and sprinkle top with remaining Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until eggplant is tender.

BAKED STUFFED BABY EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise then make shallow cuts in cut side at 1/2-inch intervals.
• Brush cut sides with 1 teaspoon olive oil and place eggplants, cut-side down, on greased baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until tender with fork, remove from oven to cool and reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.
• In a large skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat until hot.
• Add garlic, onion and red pepper; sauté for one minute until tender.
• Next, add rice through tomatoes, stir together well.
• Scoop out eggplant pulp from each halve leaving 1/2-inch thick shells and set shells aside.
• Chop pulp, add to rice mixture and mix well.
• Spoon mixture evenly into eggplant shells, sprinkle with cheese, cover and bake for 20 minutes.
• Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Garnish with more fresh basil and feta cheese, if desired.

PORK-STUFFED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Wash eggplant and cut in half lengthwise. Remove pulp, leaving the eggplant shell about 1/4-inch thick. Cut pulp into 1/2-inch cubes. Set shells and pulp aside.
• In a large skillet cook ground pork, green pepper, onion and garlic till pork is browned; drain excess drippings.
• Add eggplant pulp, water, oregano and pepper; cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and stir in tomato. Spoon mixture into eggplant shells. Place in a 12x8x2-inch baking dish.
• Bake in a 350 degree F. oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through.

LEBANESE STYLE STUFFED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Hollow out each eggplant with a melon-ball cutter, working from bottom end and leaving about 1/3 inch eggplant flesh along interior walls.
• Rinse rice in a sieve under cold water until water runs clear. Drain well.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry pine nuts, stirring frequently, until golden, about 3 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Sauté onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup onion mixture to bowl with pine nuts. Add stock, tomatoes, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to skillet and simmer, uncovered, while stuffing eggplant.
• Add rice, meat, allspice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to bowl with onion mixture and mix well with your hands.
• Stuff eggplant with meat mixture, being careful not to pack tightly (rice will expand during cooking). Transfer stuffed eggplants to skillet with tomato sauce and simmer, covered, carefully turning once, until rice is cooked through, 50 minutes to 1 hour (cut 1 in half to test).
• If sauce is watery, transfer eggplant to a plate and boil sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes, then adjust seasoning if necessary. Return stuffed eggplant to sauce. Squeeze lemon over dish and sprinkle with parsley before serving.