Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant
1 large tomato
1/2 medium onion (I prefer red onion)
1/2lb coarsely ground meat (beef or port)
1/2 cup jasmine rise
2 medium or 3 small milled banana pepper (if you like hot food I would recommend to use hot banana peppers)
1 medium carrot tinnily sliced
7 table spoon vegetable oil - I recommend refined sunflowers seed oil
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon parsley (chopped)
salt and black pepper to taste  

For the dressing:

4 eggs
1/2 cup of shredded Gouda or Parmigiano Reggiano   
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Wash the eggplant and cut off the green tip. Split eggplant in half from tip to end and scoop out the about 90% of the inside. Chop the scooped out part in small cubs, place in a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Sprinkle each shell with a generous pinch of kosher salt, rub it in gently, and let stay until you get the rest of the ingredients ready.

2. Chop the onion and the peppers in medium cubes.

3. Peel the tomato and chop it in small cubs. Keep the juice.





4. Slice the carrot.

5. Squeeze the water out of the cubed eggplant by scooping out hand fulls and squeezing hard. Discard the water. Rinse the shells.





 
TIPS:

- gently cut the outside tip of the eggplant to ensure that the shell doesn't tip over 

- if the tomato is not very ripe it might be a chore to peel it, I recommend scraping the tomato skin with the sharp side of the knife with a slight pressure.





6. Heat up the pen (I recommend nonstick) over medium heat and add 5 tablespoons of  oil. Before the oil heats up add the ground meat and the rice. With the back side of a wooden spoon or spatula gently mix the meat with the rice and brake it in small paces. Steer constantly until all juices have evaporated and the mix is fraying in oil only.

7. Add the onions, the peppers and the carrots and steer constantly for about 2 min or until there aren't any excess juices.





8. Add the cubed eggplant, steer until the mix is frying in oil.

9. Add the tomato with all the juices that it may have released. Add the herbs and black peeper to taste. Steer for a minute and try the mixture. After that add salt to taste (I recommend tasting before adding salt, because of the salted eggplant). Steer until the rice had absorbed all of the tomato juices. Turn off the heat.



10. Use a casserole dish with a lid (if you don't have one, make sure the dish you use is deep enough that the you have about an inch above the rim of the eggplant shell). Cover the inside of the dish with the remaining oil and fit in the eggplant shells.




11. Scoop the filling into the shells. If there is more filling you can tuck it in around the shells. Add 1/4 cup of water to the empty frying pen and heat it up so the water absorbs all the left over juices and pour it over the shells. Make sure you have equal parts water in each shell. NOTE: if the rice is almost cooked before you start scooping it out reduce the amount of water.


12. Cover with the lid or aluminum foil and bake for 15 to 20 min at 375F. At the 15 min mark check the dish by trying some rice from the top if the rice is cooked you are ready to add the dressing.

13. Beat the eggs for about a minute with a fork or a beater. Using spatula mix in the cheese, the parsley and a very small pinch of kosher salt ( be careful with the salt as the cheese may be salty).

14. Cover the eggplant with the mixture. Make sure to spread the egg-cheese mix over each shell so the surface is completely covered. Cover the dish with the lid or the foil and bake for 5 more minutes. Remove the cover, turn off the oven and let it stay in for 5 min or until you prepare your salad to go with the dish.

TIPS:
- For salad I recommend mixed greens or a simpler version of the Peasant salad.
- Jason added a tablespoon of Gardiner to his portion and I must admit, it was very good.   

ENJOY!!!