Pictures…

It is funny how the simplest food sometimes makes us droll…Last week I was reading some of my favorite blogs when I saw a picture at Valentina’s Blog (trembom.blogspot.com) of Stuffed Eggplant. Oh my, I love eggplant and just looking at that picture made me crave that dish too.
So, over the weekend we had to have some eggplant! I actually did not use a recipe, and when I came here to write my post I went to check back at Valentina’s, just to see how she made hers, and it was quite the same way I did!
I like to boil the eggplant shell before stuffing, just so that you get tender eggplant on both the filling and the shells. That also cuts up in the baking time, and if I have the filling and eggplant warm, a quick run through the broiler is enough to get a nice crunchy and cheesy top!
Valentina’s recipe is actually in Portuguese, so I am posting here a recipe in English that I have made before and liked a lot!
The eggplant in the picture above was stuffed with sautéed onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, the eggplant pulp, ground beef, and seasonings. But if you prefer a vegetarian dish you can omit the meat, or even substitute it with those soy crumbles, it is going to be yummy anyway you do! It is a very simple recipe that you can easily adapt to suit your taste.
The Greek-Style Stuffed Eggplant does not contain meat and the flavors are more pronounced due to the ingredients (especialy the fetta cheese). It is very tasty and we all liked it a lot when I made it at home. (When I made mine, the only thing I did different was to boil the eggplant on the stove, instead of the microwave method)
I hope one of the variations may appeal to your tastes! I love eggplant made this way, and you know what… just writing about it is making me crave it again!
Today we have lots to do and places to go, so we will probably end up eating out, but I have some plans for lunch tomorrow, let’s wait and see what comes next!
But before you go, check out my new blender, isn’t it pretty?! (My old one stopped functioning last week, after seven years of everyday use; I was sad in a way, but also quite happy to get a new toy!)

Ana

Greek-Style Stuffed Eggplant
2 eggplants, cut in half lengthwise (about 3 pounds)
1/4 cup water
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped plum tomato
1/4 cup white wine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (1-ounce) slices French bread
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Carefully remove pulp from each eggplant, reserving shells. Coarsely chop pulp to measure 6 cups. Place eggplant shells, cut sides down, in a 10-inch square baking dish. Add water to dish. Cover and microwave at high 5 minutes or until shells are tender. Keep warm.
Preheat broiler.
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add eggplant pulp; saute 7 minutes. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in tomato, wine, and garlic; cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; add feta, 1/4 cup parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper, stirring to combine. Spoon 3/4 cup eggplant mixture into each eggplant shell.
Place the bread slices in food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 cup. Combine breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and Parmesan, stirring well. Sprinkle 1/4 cup breadcrumb mixture over each stuffed shell. Arrange shells on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; broil 2 minutes or until lightly browned.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed eggplant half)
Cooking Light, June 2003