Per Request: Stuffed Eggplant Recipe

Two nights ago I made stuffed eggplant. I was aiming to utilize ingredients that I already had in my pantry verses going to the grocery store for the third time in 3 days. So here's what I came up with:

Stuffed Eggplant Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant
1/2 large yellow onion
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
1/2 cup of frozen peas
/2 cup plain tomato sauce
2 cloves of garlic
2 ounces of baby swiss cheese
1/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash and slice the eggplant in half. Remove the stem.

2. Remove the inside of the eggplant, dice and place in a bowl (I sliced the inside like a matrix and scooped it out with a spoon). Save the eggplant "shell" to fill later.

3. Dice the onion and sauté in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add finely chopped garlic and let it cook for 30 seconds. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the diced eggplant and sauté until tender.

4. Cook couscous (follow directions on box) and set aside ( I only cook with water and 2 teaspoons of italian herbs).

5. Cook frozen peas in microwave and drain liquid.

6. In a large bowl combine cooked couscous, peas, eggplant and onion mixture, parmesan cheese, and tomato sauce. Mix well.

7. Fill eggplant shell with mixture and top with swiss cheese.

8. Cook at 35o degrees for 15 minutes or until the eggplant shell is tender and cheese is melted in a greased pan.

8. ENJOY!

Why I love this recipe:

I have a hard time flavoring eggplant. It tends to have a "flat" flavor unless it is fried. This by far has been my favorite way to cook it. Hunter loved this dish and he normally strays from this vegetable.

Nutritional Benefits:

- Low in calories

- High in fiber

- No cholesterol or fat unless added when cooking

I hope eggplant finds its way into your kitchen. Try this recipe and see if it broadens your perspective of how to eat this hearty vegetable.

Happy Cooking!

Little Chef-titian