December 15, 2008

Roasted and Stuffed Smothered Eggplant (freezer friendly!)

I apologize in advance for not having a picture. I finished this recipe up late last night and threw it into the fridge for Monday lunch & dinner. I recently started a part-time job, so now Alex and I both work late on Mondays. This recipe yields 4 servings (only 3 points each!) so we each took one for lunch and one for dinner.
It's really yummy, filling and healthy; however, I have yet to figure out a way to keep it looking pretty when I move it from the baking dish to the plate. By the time it gets out of the oven, the eggplant halves are so soft, they just fall apart. Delicious, but kinda messy. Let me know if you make this and can figure out a way to keep it looking nice!

Ingredients:
2 medium eggplant, sliced in half lengthwise
2 teaspoons olive oil
Cooking spray
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
3 portobello mushroom caps, chopped medium
parsley (2 TBS fresh or 1 TBS dried)
2 tsp dried tyme
salt and pepper - to taste
15-oz canned tomato sauce
Parmesan or Mozzeralla cheese (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rub cut sides of eggplants with oil. Place on a nonstick baking sheet cut-sides up. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (eggplant should not be cooked entirely through). Remove from oven and flip over with a spatula; let cool on baking sheet. Leave oven on.

Meanwhile, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrot and peppers. Saute until soft and slightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms. Increase heat to high and continue to saute until mushrooms soften and release their juices, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley and thyme; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Scoop out flesh of cooled eggplant with a soup spoon, leaving about a 1/4-inch of eggplant flesh in skin. Coarsely chop flesh and add to mushroom mixture; mix well.

Fill each eggplant shell with about 1 1/2 cups of filling. Place stuffed eggplant shells in a nonstick 9- by 13-inch pan. Spoon 1/2 cup of tomato sauce over each stuffed eggplant shell. Top with optional cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and let cool.

Freezing and thawing instructions: Freeze each cooled eggplant half, topped with sauce, in individual containers. When ready to eat, thaw and microwave. Or, thaw and reheat for about 15 to 20 minutes in a 350 degrees oven.

This recipe yields 4 servings; one stuffed eggplant half per serving = 3 points.

3 comments:

Cristine said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Sounds delicious!

Anonymous said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Hi cousin sounds good!!! Didnt know you do points too! Ive reached goal 75lbs. ronda

What's Cookin Chicago said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

This definitely is something I could dig into!