One of my (and my grandson’s) favorite vegetables is eggplant. I’d stuffed zucchini but never an eggplant but this turned out very luscious, a classic combination of an onion, garlic, sweet pepper and tomato base with rice. It’s a great side dish or add some protein, like sweet Italian sausage, and make it a main dish.*
Serves 2 (or double to serve 4). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash and cut in half:
One medium to large eggplant
Score the middle, being careful not to cut through the skin, leaving about a half inch of meat around the edges. Use a spoon to scoop out the meat to leave a “boat”. Salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil. Place in a greased baking dish and bake for roughly 30-40 minutes until the meat is softened and slightly browned.
While the boats are cooking, heat in a large skillet:
1 tablespoon olive oil
Add:
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced sweet pepper (any color you like)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Eggplant meat, chopped
Sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent and the pepper is softened. Add:
8 ounces finely diced tomatoes (half a can)
2 cups cooked brown rice
3 tablespoons of fresh basil, chiffonade
1 tablespoon avocado oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Stir to combine and cook until heated through before removing from heat.
When the eggplant boats are ready, stuff them with the filling, sprinkle with:
2 tablespoons grated non-dairy parmesan cheese
Return to the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes before increasing the oven heat to broil. Broil until the cheese is slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Serve.
*To make it a main dish, reduce the rice to 1 cup and add 1 cup ground Italian sausage.
TIP: This is an Italian stuffed eggplant. For a more Moroccan style, leave out the basil and cheese and instead add:
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 cup roasted pine nuts (or pumpkin seeds)
Pinch of date sugar
cookingwithoutallergens 