Baked Eggplant with Savory Cheese Stuffing

TamTastic

Baked Eggplant with Savory Cheese Stuffing

Eggplant makes a satisfying vegetarian dinner when stuffed with tomato and peppers and served with rice. Feta cheese adds tang and body to the stuffing.


Ingredients
2 medium eggplants, each cut in half lengthwise (about 2 pounds)
Cooking spray
1 (1-ounce) slice white bread
1 teaspoon extravirgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/4 cups finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped seeded plum tomato
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.
Score cut side of each eggplant half by making 4 crosswise cuts. Place the eggplant halves, cut sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; cool on pan 10 minutes. Carefully remove pulp, leaving a 1/3-inch-thick shell; reserve eggplant shells. Chop pulp.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Drizzle the breadcrumbs with olive oil, and pulse to combine.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped eggplant, bell pepper, tomato, oregano, and garlic; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Stuff each eggplant shell with about 1/2 cup onion mixture; sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet; bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated and lightly browned.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed eggplant half)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 178(28% from fat); FAT 5.5g (sat 2.6g,mono 2g,poly 0.6g); IRON 1.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 8mg; CALCIUM 126mg; CARBOHYDRATE 28.4g; SODIUM 749mg; PROTEIN 8.3g; FIBER 8.5g

TamTastic

Baked Eggplant with Savory Cheese Stuffing

Eggplant makes a satisfying vegetarian dinner when stuffed with tomato and peppers and served with rice. Feta cheese adds tang and body to the stuffing.


Ingredients
2 medium eggplants, each cut in half lengthwise (about 2 pounds)
Cooking spray
1 (1-ounce) slice white bread
1 teaspoon extravirgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/4 cups finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped seeded plum tomato
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.
Score cut side of each eggplant half by making 4 crosswise cuts. Place the eggplant halves, cut sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; cool on pan 10 minutes. Carefully remove pulp, leaving a 1/3-inch-thick shell; reserve eggplant shells. Chop pulp.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Drizzle the breadcrumbs with olive oil, and pulse to combine.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped eggplant, bell pepper, tomato, oregano, and garlic; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Stuff each eggplant shell with about 1/2 cup onion mixture; sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet; bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated and lightly browned.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed eggplant half)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 178(28% from fat); FAT 5.5g (sat 2.6g,mono 2g,poly 0.6g); IRON 1.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 8mg; CALCIUM 126mg; CARBOHYDRATE 28.4g; SODIUM 749mg; PROTEIN 8.3g; FIBER 8.5g

GlassKisses

That looks really, really good
(especially since I'm a vegetarian )

Healthier_Me

Hubbz is on an eggplant fix so this is perfect!

Thanks Tiramisu:bigsmile:

TamTastic

Bump!