Stuffed Eggplant

Put down that take out menu because you’ve got something new and delicious to cook this week! Stuffed eggplant!

This meal can be made with only vegetables or with meat. My boyfriend’s grandmother tells me she loves to add minced meat and she swears by it. The vegetables used here are tossed in Rose sauce which simply means “PINK SAUCE” in Italian. Mixing milk or cream with tomato paste gives you this rich decadent sauce. Restaurants use this sauce in pastas, seafood dishes and of course vegetable dishes. I coated the eggplants in a chadon beni oil for that extra local flavour. Experiment a little with the family this week and give it a try. Oh! Did I mention? It’s topped with cheese! Yes stringy, and creamy mozzarella cheese. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 Eggplants
• 2 Onions (medium diced)
• 6 Garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 Sweet peppers (medium diced)
• 3 Tomatoes (medium diced)
• 1 Zucchini (medium diced)
• 2 tbsp Cuisine Soya bean Oil
• ½ C Olive Oil
• 1 small bundle Chadon Beni
• 3 sprigs Thyme
• 1 small bundle Parsley (chopped finely)
• 1 small bundle Celery (chopped finely)
• ¾ C Tomato paste
• 2 C Cuisine Full cream milk
• 1 c Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/2 c Cuisine All-purpose Flour
• 1/3 C Butter
• Salt – To taste
• Black pepper- To taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl mix together the chadon beni and olive oil. Set aside.
2. Cut eggplant in half and then pass the knife around making sure to leave an1 inch of eggplant around. Scoop out the inside and rub the eggplant with chadon beni oil. Note (See video on technique.)
3. Place into a baking tray and bake for 10 mins.
4. Cut the eggplant pieces and all the vegetables in a medium dice. Heat the Soya-bean oil and sauté all the vegetables. Allow to cook for 5 minutes. Note (This stage isn’t to fully cook the vegetables simply to bring out the flavours of the vegetables.)
5. In another pot make the Rose sauce by melting butter and whisk in the flour. Pour in milk and whisk well. Add the tomato paste and salt and pepper. Note (The sauce should have a full body-meaning thick but still has a flow when poured.)
6. Fold the Rose sauce into the vegetables and stuff into the roasted eggplant.
7. Top with cheese and bake for 10 minutes.
8. Serve hot and enjoy!