Stuffed eggplant sounds pretty sophisticated, but it is actually quite easy to do and not as labor intensive as you might think. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to prepare stuffed eggplant (along with some ideas for the filling). Bits and pieces of the information below have already been posted on various other recipes, but I’ve condensed all the information so it is all in one place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First, when selecting an eggplant, look for one with smooth skin that is a deep purple color. Avoid bruises or dents, and select an eggplant that feels heavy for it’s size (this indicates ripeness). Try not to buy an eggplant over 1 or 1.25 pounds, as heavier eggplants are usually bitter. Eggplant is mostly in season from about June to September, though some gourmet stores may still import good varieties this time of year. The best bet for eggplant slightly past its prime is to peel, cut into chunks, salt the flesh (more on that below), and saute with other seasonal vegetables or bake with tomato sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First, start by cutting the eggplant in half lengthwise. The stem and cap are not edible, but you can leave on for presentation. The leaves can also be peeled back to reveal more edible flesh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, use a small paring knife to score the flesh. Start with diagonal slashes all in the same direction, slicing as deep as possible without piercing the skin. Keep the cuts about 1/2 inch apart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then slice in the opposite direction, creating a cross-hatch pattern. Try to connect the corners as much as possible, leaving complete squares cut out. Then run the paring knife about the edge of the eggplant, leaving less than 1/4 inch of flesh next to the skin. Again, be careful not to pierce the skin, but cut deep enough to loosen the flesh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh. The pieces should pop out rather easily, following the cross-hatch pattern. You may need to scoop out additional seeds at the bottom of the eggplant, if so discard. The seeds are edible but rather bitter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chop any connected flesh into 1/2 inch cubes. Place the eggplant flesh in a colander and sprinkle with salt. This will draw any bitterness to the surface of the eggplant. Let set for about 15-20 minutes, then rinse and gently pat dry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the eggplant is ready, prepare the “stuffing.” Here is an easy recipe:

Stuffed Italian Eggplant

Olive oil
2 eggplants, about 1 lb each
1/2 lb bulk Italian sausage
1 pkg (8 oz) mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 can (15 oz) low-sodium tomato sauce
2 tbsp red wine or apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush with olive oil. Arrange the hollowed out eggplant halves in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add sausage, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, and cook 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and bell pepper to pan. Saute 3-5 minutes, until pepper begins to soften. Add onions and garlic, sprinkle with salt and saute until onions are softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add oregano and red pepper flakes and toss.

Add to pan (prepared as described in above instructions). Stir in tomato sauce and red vinegar. Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer  for 5-7 minutes, until sauce is thick. Remove from heat and let set for 5 minutes.

Fill the hollowed out eggplant halves with tomato mixture. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each stuffed eggplant. Bake 15-20 minutes, until top is lightly browned and bubbly. Drizzle the top of the eggplants with olive oil if it looks like it is beginning to dry out. Use a large spatula or serving spoon to transfer stuffed eggplants to plate.

Leftover “stuffing” can also be tossed with cooked pasta. To make for six, use prepare three eggplant and add 2 cups cooked pasta after tomato sauce is added and brought to a boil. To make vegetarian, omit the Italian sausage and add mushrooms (saute with the onions).

This recipe uses curry powder to add a twist to traditional stir-fry. Of course, I found the original recipe to be a bit lacking. I added some more veggies and tweaked a couple ingredients, then served the stir-fry over couscous. Try it over rice or egg noodles as well. The vegetables can be swapped for whatever is available/in season (or to your preference).

You can look for beef pre-sliced for stir-fry to save time, but slicing it yourself will probably be cheaper. Look for tender cuts like top loin, top sirloin, tenderloin, or even flank. Placing the beef in the freezer for 10-15 minutes will help firm it up, making it easier to slice the beef into thin strips.

Curried Beef Stir-Fry
adapted from Southern Living

1 lb beef, cut into thin strips
Olive oil
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bell pepper (red, yellow, orange), sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
1 large apple, such as fuji, cored and diced
1/2 cup apple juice
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
hot cooked couscous or rice, for serving

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet. Season beef with sea salt and black pepper. Add the beef, working in batches if needed, and stir-fry over high heat until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium-high, add additional oil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Add red onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Saute 2-3 minutes, then add bell pepper. Saute 2-3 minutes, adding additional oil if needed, then add zucchini and saute 2-3 minutes. Add diced apple, apple juice, soy sauce, and curry powder. Bring liquid to a boil and return beef to pan along with any accumulated juices on the plate. Toss ingredients, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, adding additional apple juice if needed.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve over hot cooked couscous or rice.

This is actually a combination of two recipes from Real Simple magazine, along with my own personal twist. Ratatouille is usually thought of as a summer dish, given the use of produce such as eggplant, bell pepper, tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash. It also works well as an end-of-the-season dish, when the last of the summer produce arrives at the grocery store or farmer’s markets. For the past two weeks, my local grocery store has had the biggest, most beautiful zucchini, so I wanted to seize what it probably my last chance of the season to enjoy them!

Ratatouille is traditionally a meatless dish, comprised of vegetables and fresh herbs. One of the Real Simple recipes combined this dish with Italian sausage, which is a favorite in our house. It seemed like a winning combination, so I created this recipe for some dinner guests and received rave reviews. To complete the meal, I served this over warm egg noodles tossed with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of fresh basil.

Tip: Cut the eggplant first and place in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and allow to set while you prepare the rest of the vegetables. Rinse  and pat dry before adding to saute. This will remove most of the bitter flavor and improve the texture of the eggplant (prevents it from getting overly soggy and mushy).

Look for eggplants that heavy for their size. This indicates ripeness and also improves the texture and flavor of the dish.

Ratatouille w/ Italian Sausages
adapted from Real Simple

4 Italian sausages, 1 lb, halved if desired
Olive oil
Sea salt
1 sweet yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large eggplant, about 1 lb, cubed
1 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes, do not drain
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
Cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400F and coat a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, heat about 1 tbsp olive oil. Brown sausages on both sides, about 3 minutes per side (sausages do not need to be cooked through). Arrange in a single layer in prepared baking dish and set aside.

In the same skillet, add onion and garlic. Sprinkle with sea salt and saute 2-3 minutes. Add eggplant, dried oregano and red pepper flakes. If pan begins to dry out, add a little more olive oil. Saute 3 minutes and add zucchini and bell pepper. Saute an additional 3 minutes, then add tomatoes with liquid and chicken stock. Bring liquid to a boil and stir in chopped basil. Season to taste with black pepper.

Pour vegetable mixture over sausages in prepared baking dish. Turn sausages to coat (if desired, cut sausage in half). Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, until sausages are cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to set for 10 minutes before serving.

As the dish cooks, the vegetables should start to release liqiud and create a sauce in the pan. If the pan dries out, though, just add a little more chicken stock.

The original recipe from Cooking Light Magazine was for pork, not chicken, and used just cherry preserves. I added the apricot jam and decided to use frozen cherries for extra flavor. I served this chicken over egg noodles and zucchini sauteed with sweet onion, garlic, tossed with sesame seed oil. By slicing the chicken and tossing with the cherry-apricot sauce, it made a delicious stir-fry style dish.

Chicken w/ Cherry-Apricot Sauce
adapted from Cooking Light

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
Olive oil
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
1 cup frozen pitted cherries, thawed
1/4 cup apricot jam or preserves
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp rice vinegar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Using a meat tenderizer or small frying pan, pound chicken between two pieces of wax paper until about 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick. Season on both sides with salt and black pepper. Heat about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook about 5-6 minutes on each side, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Set aside and keep warm.

In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add to hot skillet, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Heat until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes or until sauce is warmed through. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

I prefer to slice the chicken first, then pour the sauce over top.

Quick and easy dinners are a life-saver after a long day. Pasta dishes fit the bill perfectly, because while you wait for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, you can chop and saute veggies and warm sauces. It involves a small amount of multi-tasking, but the result is a relative fast meal that doesn’t skimp on flavor.

Recently, a friend was seeking suggestions on what to do with Great Northern White Beans. These are one of my favorite pantry items to go to, so I provided her with a couple of my white bean recipes, and it got me thinking about other white bean dishes. This recipe is what I could call a pantry-scraper, because all of the ingredients I stock regularly (except zucchini, and really, a can of diced tomatoes would work here just as well).

Spaghetti w/ Zucchini & White Beans

8 oz dried spaghetti, broken in half
Sea salt
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1-2 medium size zucchini, diced
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 can (15 oz) Great Northern White Beans, drained and rinsed
Parmesan cheese, optional

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tbsp sea salt and dried spaghetti. Cook 8-10 minutes, until desired tenderness. Drain, toss in olive oil, and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat about 2 tbsp olive oil in large skillet. Saute garlic and onions with about 1/4 tsp salt for 3-5 minutes, until softened. Add zucchini, red pepper flakes, and oregano and saute 3-5 minutes, until zucchini is cooked through but still crisp. Add white beans and saute until warmed through, about 2-3 minutes. Add additional olive oil to pan if needed.

Add cooked pasta to skillet. Toss, adding some reserved pasta water if pasta begins to stick. Top with Parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.