Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Baked Eggplant Food

EGGPLANT AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO SPREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
• Cut off and discard top of garlic head to expose cloves. Brush top of head with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Wrap garlic in foil and roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Cool to warm, then squeeze garlic cloves from skins into a small bowl, discarding skins.
• Meanwhile, cut eggplant into 1/2-inch pieces and toss with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large colander. Let drain 30 minutes. Squeeze eggplant in a kitchen towel to remove liquid.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté one third of eggplant until browned and tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Cook remaining eggplant in olive oil in same manner (in 2 batches), transferring to bowl.
• Add 1 cup cooked eggplant to garlic and coarsely mash together. Stir into remaining eggplant with sun-dried tomatoes (without tomato oil), parsley, basil, lemon juice, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Season with salt and drizzle with tomato oil.
• What to drink:
• Artezin Mendocino Zinfandel '07 or Château de Chamirey Mercurey Rouge '07

CHICKEN WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO, EGGPLANT AND BASIL

Steps:

• Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the eggplant halves in a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle with salt. Cover with a microwave-safe plate and cook on high for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a skillet over high heat, about 1 minute; transfer to a bowl and add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess. Add to the skillet and cook until brown on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chicken, add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Remove the eggplant from the microwave, cool slightly and slice into chunks. Reduce the skillet heat to medium-low; add the sun-dried tomatoes, eggplant, basil, nuts and chicken broth to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
• Transfer the chicken to plates; top each with ricotta and the eggplant mixture. Serve with the bread.

PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS STUFFED WITH EGGPLANT AND GORGONZOLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange mushrooms, rounded side down, on large baking sheet. Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic. Sauté until eggplant is soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in red wine and simmer until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; stir in Gorgonzola cheese and 1 tablespoon basil. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture evenly into mushroom caps. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover mushrooms with aluminum foil. Bake mushrooms for 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese melts, filling bubbles and mushrooms are tender when pierced with sharp knife, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle mushrooms with remaining 1 tablespoon basil and serve warm.

VEGAN TURKISH BAKED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Place eggplants in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and leave to drain for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking pan.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Add onion, red bell pepper, and garlic; cook until onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, and pepper. Remove from heat.
• Pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels and arrange in the prepared baking pan. Drop a teaspoonful of the tomato mixture onto each eggplant slice. Drizzle remaining olive oil over and around slices. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until eggplant slices are tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Garnish with pine nuts and cilantro leaves. Serve at room temperature.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pound chicken between two sheets of wax paper, flattening to 1/4 inch thickness using a rolling pin or mallet.
• Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Mix together cream cheese, two-thirds of garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes; then spread cream cheese filling over one side of each chicken breast.
• Sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon basil and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese over breasts; roll up and secure with a toothpick in each breast.
• Place in an 8-inch-square baking pan coated with cooking spray and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
• While chicken is cooking (or standing), combine plum tomatoes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, rest of minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon basil. Cut chicken into slices; serve bruschetta (tomato mix) over the slices.
• Any leftover bruschetta can be served with toasted or grilled French/Italian bread slices on another day for a great snack/appetizer!

PAPOUTSAKIA - LITTLE SHOES (STUFFED MINIATURE EGGPLANT)

Steps:

• Brown onions,garlic, meat and cinnamon lightly in butter, stirring constantly.
• Add tomatoes, salt and pepper.
• Cook covered for about 15 minutes, allowing meat mixture to become quite dry.
• Remove from heat.
• Add parsley, egg, 1/2 cup cheese and bread crumbs.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Along what you choose to become the'top' of each eggplant, peel a 1 1/2 inch strip from one end to the other and make an incision along the strip to within an inch of each end, making a little pocket.
• Place in baking dish and bake in moderate oven until soft and light brown, about 30-45 minutes.
• Insert knife blade into incision, make an opening and stuff with teaspoonfuls of meat mixture, making sure each little eggplant gets an equal amount of stuffing.
• Prepare bechamel sauce: Melt butter over low heat; add flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg; stir until well blended.
• Remove from heat.
• Gradually stir in milk and return to heat.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth.
• Remove from heat.
• Add the egg and remaining cheese to the sauce and whisk briskly, to prevent the egg from curdling.
• Pour about one tablespoon on top of each eggplant pocket.
• Sprinkle with additional grated cheese and dot with butter.
• Add tomato sauce to the pan.
• Bake for about 35 minutes longer.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO STUFFED BAKED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise; remove the pulp, leaving a shell about 1/2" thick.
• Butter the inside of the shell.
• Dice the eggplant pulp and set aside.
• Melt 1/2 the butter in a saucepan; stir in the onion and sautee until straw-colored, about 3-5 minutes.
• Add the diced eggplant pulp, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook over moderate heat until the vegetables are browned, about 5-8 minutes.
• Spoon the mixture into the eggplant shells; sprinkle with cheese.
• Cover with the breadcrumbs, which have been lightly sauteed in the remaining butter; place stuffed eggplant in a shallow baking pan.
• Pour 1/2" boiling water into the pan; bake in a preheated 325*F.
• oven for 15-20 minutes.
• Cut and serve hot with pasta, bread, or salad.